


The Proposal

by Full_Moon_Lover



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Office, Assistant Phil, Boss Dan, Boss/Employee Relationship, M/M, Marriage Proposal, The Proposal - Freeform, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-08 12:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 34,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4305912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Full_Moon_Lover/pseuds/Full_Moon_Lover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of the movie 'The Proposal' starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. </p><p>Dan Howell is the executive chief of a very known company which deals with publishing best seller books. He is hated but everyone in the office but everyone is too scared of him to say anything, unless they want to get fired. Phil Lester is his assistant. As much as he hates Dan and the way he treats him, Phil keeps quiet because of his dream of becoming an editor. When Dan learns that he might be facing deportation charges because of his expired visa, he convinces Phil to marry him in order for all charges to be dropped. The plan is to get a divorce after a few years but a weekend spent in Phil's family house might just change both their plans, and the way they think.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Like I said in the summary, this story is going to be based off of the movie 'The Proposal'. Although I will change some things in order to fit in well with the story and I might even mix things up a bit, there will be a lot of similarities to the movie. Basically, if you hated the movie then you'll probably hate this story as well so why even read it? 
> 
> I'm not sure how many chapters there's going to be but t shouldn't be more than four if everything goes to plan. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Phil woke up to the sound of beeping coming from next to his head. He groaned and rolled around, trying to ignore the beeping in order to get a few more minutes of sleep. As tired as he was he could barely get his brain to cooperate with him and think but he had a niggling at the back of his mind that he was forgetting something very important.

It was thoughts of his boss which finally woke him up enough for him to realise what the beeping was and why he was going to be in so much trouble if he didn’t get out of bed right now. His eyes opened wide and he sat up in bed, quickly taking hold of his alarm clock in order to check what time it was. “No. No, no, no…” he said, before he pressed down the button to make it stop and sprang up on the bed.

“He’s going to kill me, he’s so going to kill me”, he mumbled to himself while also trying to do everything at once. He couldn’t believe that after months of always getting up on time and being perfectly organised he had woken up late today of all days. His boss was going to kill him.

Somehow he managed to brush his teeth and fix his hair as much as possible before putting on his suit and he managed to do all of this in less than ten minutes. Now if he could just get out of his house and to the nearest coffee shop in the next five minutes, he would be safe.

Phil grabbed his suitcase and, after making sure that he had everything he needed, ran out of his house and to the nearest coffee shop that he could think of. He couldn’t help the groan that came out when he saw the long line of people all waiting to make their orders. He was doomed.

He was supposed to be at the office in fifteen minutes and there was no way that he was going to get the coffee in time to be able to run all the way to the office and wait for his boss to arrive. Unfortunately, he didn’t really have a choice since Phil knew that showing up with no coffee was almost worst than not showing up at all.

Phil perked up when he saw Lizzy, one of his co-workers at the front of the line. He quickly made his way over to her, trying to ignore all the people who were glaring at him when they realised what he was trying to do. “Lizzy if you care about me at all you will order me two caramel macchiatos to go”, he said, once he had reached her side. “Please.”

Lizzy gave him a strange look but once she saw the state in which Phil was in she gave him a nod and ordered the drinks he had asked her for together with her own. “Let me guess, one of these is for the boss? You better hurry up or you’re going to get it today”, she said just before she handed him the two caramel macchiatos.

Phil gave her a grateful smile and took off, trying to run as fast as possible without spilling any of the drinks in his hand. If he wasn’t panicking so much, he would have burst out in tears of relief when the building came in sight and he quickly sprinted in and pressed the button for the elevator.

The elevator took a little longer to arrive then he had hoped but once it did Phil was glad to notice that it was empty. Pressing on the right button for his floor, he leaned against the wall and tried to calm himself down. He couldn’t really remember the last time he had ran so much and swore to himself that he’ll head to the gym the first chance he got after this.

Phil was out of the elevator the moment the doors were opened and a quick look at his watch told him that he was just in time and his boss would be arriving in a few minutes. He didn’t realise what a bad idea it was to look down at his watch while turning around the corner until he felt someone slam into him.

This wouldn’t have been such a bad thing if one of the paper cups full of coffee that he was holding didn’t tilt all over him. “Are you kidding me?” he said, turning to look at the person responsible for this. There was no way that he could present himself in front of his boss with coffee stains all over his white shirt but he couldn’t really think of anything he could do to fix things.

He looked all around and he smiled when his eyes landed on PJ. “I’m going to need to borrow your suit”, he blurted the second he was close enough for PJ to hear him. The look he received in return was a disbelieving one but Phil had no time to waste in explanations. “The boss is coming in soon and I spilled coffee all over me. You know what will happen if he sees me like this so please let me borrow your suit. I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate.”

Phil was still worried that PJ would say no but thankfully he had picked a person who kind of liked him so instead he got a nod in return. He left the remaining cup of coffee on his desk then followed PJ to the bathroom in order to be able to switch suits. A part of him was worried that PJ would end up in trouble because of him but Phil new that it was very unlikely that their boss would notice what PJ was wearing. It was a totally different story for Phil though since he worked so closely to him.

They walked out of the bathroom just in time to see the commotion going on. Every worker was running around like crazy trying to find their appropriate place and that is how Phil knew that there boss was near. A quick look at his computer only confirmed his suspicions when he saw a message reading “The beast is in the building.” It was show time.

Phil quickly fixed his tie and ran a hand through his hair then he picked up the coffee that he had left on his desk and got ready to greet his boss as soon as he walked in. “Good morning Mr. Howell. I got your coffee, caramel macchiato just how you like it. Mr. Jones is already here for your first appointment that you asked me to schedule”, he said, handing his boss the cup of coffee and the file with all the information about the upcoming meeting.

The only thing he got from Mr. Howell was a bored look. “Tell Mr. Jones to reschedule his appointment. Something more important came up which I need to take care of and today is going to be bad enough without him making it worse. I’ll deal with him on another day. I assume that you’re capable of doing what I just asked Lester?” he said and was off to his office before Phil could even utter a word in reply.

As much as he should be used to it, Phil was still left staring at his boss’ back with his mouth open wide and an incredulous look on his face. He had scheduled the meeting with Mr. Jones two weeks ago and now he was expected to just reschedule even though Mr. Jones had already arrived.

 What made things worse was that this was not going to be the first time that Phil had to reschedule the same meeting. Mr. Jones was not going to be happy at all and, as always, he would end up taking it out on Phil instead of calling his boss and complaining to him.

That was Dan Howell for you. In the beginning no one could really understand how a twenty two year old boy had managed to get such a high position in their company and some had even ridiculed him for it. Needless to say, these people were gone a week after Dan showed up.

He was full of himself, mean and, most importantly, powerful. You didn’t argue with him unless you had any wish of being fired and that is why Phil constantly kept finding himself having to face irritated clients who kept having their meetings rescheduled.

No one said no to Dan Howell without consequences. Some people had learned that the hard way and Phil was determined not to end up like them. He hated his current job because it meant his boss could treat him like dirt and he rarely even saw his family anymore but he knew that it was the only way for him to finally get his dream of becoming a successful editor. And if that meant having to do whatever Dan Howell asked him to for now, he would do it.

With a sigh, Phil prepared himself for the rant he was about to get from Mr. Jones and slowly made his way to the conference room in which the meeting was supposed to take place. It went exactly how he had imagined and by the time Mr. Jones had left, Phil’s face was a lovely shade of red from all the inappropriate things he had heard their client say.

Trying to forget about everything that he had just heard, Phil started walking back to Dan’s office. He was absolutely sure that his boss had already invented something else for Phil to do which would make his life absolutely miserable and he couldn’t say that he was really looking forward to it.

He knocked on the door and walked in only to find Dan talking heatedly on the phone. “Susan, honey, you have to do this. I know it might seem like a lot of work but trust me, you won’t regret writing a sequel to your book and- I know you need to think about it and I don’t want to rush you but there’s a deadline you need to- Okay, okay call me back whenever you’re ready.”

Apparently things with Susan had not gone as well as Dan had hoped they would. Susan was one of their clients and she had written one of the most popular books of the previous years. Their company wanted to encourage her to write a sequel and Dan had almost managed to do it but Susan kept coming up with excuses of why she shouldn’t do it. If Dan didn’t need that sequel written so much, Phil was sure that he would have gotten rid of her long ago.

Phil finally decided to make his presence known since it seemed like Dan had barely even realised that he had walked in. “I cancelled the meeting with Mr. Jones like you asked. He was…less than pleased. I haven’t rescheduled it yet though because I was hoping that you could give me an idea of when it would be best for you in order to avoid more problems.” He hoped that his boss wouldn’t manage to find something wrong in what he had said once again but he was tired of clients offending him for something that was not his fault.

All the response he got from Dan as a roll of his eyes and Phil could feel his blood boiling. He bit his lip and kept telling himself to keep his mouth shut. As annoying and irritating as Dan was, it wasn’t worth losing his job over.

“Forget about Mr. Jones. I’ll deal with him later. Patrick Thomas called me a few minutes ago and I have to head over to his office because he needs to talk to me. It shouldn’t take long but if I’m not back within ten minutes I’m going to need you to come and get me. Just invent an excuse or something”, Dan said, just before he stood up and walked out of his office. He was a big fan of leaving Phil to stare speechlessly behind him.

Phil also left Dan’s office and walked over to his own desk. As much as Dan and his stupid orders got on his nerves, Phil was glad for the little break he could have until it was time to go and get his boss. He could see everyone looking at him with pity in their eyes and tried not to let it get to him. Sure, being an assistant to a boss that people referred to as “beast” wasn’t ideal but he didn’t need everyone to look at him as if he was dying.

When ten minutes had gone by and Dan still hadn’t shown up, Phil stood up and made his way to Patrick Thomas’ office. He gently knocked on the door and opened it, failing to notice how tense everyone looked. “Mr. Howell you have that very important meeting with Catherine right now. This is the first time she agreed to come in for a meeting ever since she got married”, he invented, hoping that he was sounding at least a little bit believable.

Dan quickly turned to look at him when he heard him say that, a smirk on his face. “Honey, why don’t you come in? I think it’s about time that we told these gentlemen the truth about our relationship. I mean, we’ve kept it hidden for long enough now, don’t you think?” he asked sweetly.

Phil just stared at him, having absolutely no idea what Dan was going on about. Honey? As far as he knew, there was nothing that they were hiding from anyone especially nothing that concerned a non-existent relationship. Phil was about to say just that but one glare from Dan silenced him.

Instead he just gulped and walked over to Dan, trying to understand what was going on. Phil only got more confused when Dan wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer. “We weren’t going to say anything for a while since some might think it weird but I feel that, considering the present situation, we can’t hide it any longer. We’re getting married”, Dan said, a wide smile on his face.

If Phil hadn’t been lost before then he was definitely lost now. He hadn’t known that Dan had been in a relationship with anyone and he still couldn’t understand what he had to do with all of this. “Who’s getting married?” he whispered to Dan and he had to bite his tongue to keep in a yell when Dan stepped on his foot to get him to shut up.

“Phil and I are getting married”, Dan said, a charming smile still on his face. “I know it’s not ideal since Phil is my assistant and I’m his boss but we fell in love and you just can’t find a love like ours. I hope this means that we can forget about the deportation.”

Even though Phil was still feeling very lost, he started getting an idea of what was going on when he heard Dan mention something about a deportation. Phil knew that Dan had sent in some Visa applications late even though he had reminded him multiple times but he had never thought that the consequences to that would be so harsh.

Patrick Thomas smiled at hearing Dan’s announcement, looking genuinely happy. “You two need to make everything official then we can put this whole thing behind us”, he said with a nod. Dan kept his arm wrapped around Phil and they slowly walked out of his office.

Phil could feel himself turn a bright shade of red when he saw all his co-workers staring at him and he couldn’t imagine what they must be thinking right now. He had no doubt that they had all already heard about his apparent engagement since word spread like wildfire in the office. He couldn’t help but feel as if he had betrayed them all though since he had been one of those who spoke badly of Dan and now he was engaged to the same person.

They walked quickly to Dan’s office and Phil turned on Dan the second the door was closed. “What the hell was all that about?” he asked but got no answer in return. Dan had sat down at his desk and appeared to already be looking over some documents. Usually Phil would just sigh and leave him be but this time it was different. This thing that had just happened involved him as well and he was not about to be a push over for Dan once again. “I’m not marrying you.”

Dan was quick to look at him at hearing that, a glare on his face. “Oh yes you are. And you want to know why? If I get deported they’re going to put Jim in my place. The same Jim I fired this morning after I told him that you informed me of all his slacking off. The first thing Jim would do if he took my place would be to fire you and then you can kiss goodbye to your dream of becoming an editor.”

Phil bit his lip at hearing that. He hadn’t said anything to Dan about Jim slacking off but he knew that Dan could be very convincing when he wanted to be and had no doubt that Jim had believed every word. As much as Phil loathed admitting it, Dan was right. If Jim took his place, he was as good as gone.

He had been so sure that there was absolutely nothing that could convince him to go along with Dan’s plans but Dan had made a very compelling argument. Phil had worked so hard to get were he was today. He had given up his boyfriend and his family, all so that he could finally get his dream of becoming an editor and he couldn’t just throw everything away like that.

The smirk on Dan’s face made it clear that he knew he had won. “Tomorrow we need to go to the immigration centre in order to get the necessary forms for us to get married. Yesterday you told me something about going back home for your grandma’s birthday right during the weekend? I’m coming with you to meet your family, we get married and after a few years we get a clean divorce.”

Phil just stared at Dan, barely able to believe the professional way in which Dan was talking about marriage. As if it was just another business deal or another author they needed to convince to sign with them. This was so much more than that to Phil, especially since he knew that what they were about to do was illegal and, if they weren’t careful, they could get in deep trouble.

The only thing that kept him from saying all this to Dan was the idea that he might become editor after all this was over. He tried his best to stop himself from thinking about what his parents would say if they were to find out just what he was willing to do to finally get his dream job.

“I’ll call the immigration centre and make an appointment for nine o’clock tomorrow. I’ll see you there”, he told Dan, trying to sound as professional as the other had sound but he was sure that his shaky voice had betrayed him. The only reply he got from Dan was a small nod since the other barely looked up at him, too busy looking through the documents on his desk.

What had he just gotten himself into?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is Chapter 2! I'm quite proud of it so I really hope you like it. Big thanks go to phantatwist on Tumblr for betaing this chapter.

It was 8:30 in the morning, and Phil was already waiting in front of the immigration centre. He knew that Dan wouldn’t show up before nine but after a sleepless night, staying at home was only going to stress him out. That’s why by seven o’clock he was already out of bed and drinking some coffee in the hopes that it would get him through the day ahead.

He had spent all night thinking about what he had agreed to. Getting the promotion to editor that he had always dreamed of was obviously important, but was it worth going through with this whole ridiculous plan? On the other hand, if Dan got deported then Phil could kiss his job goodbye. The thought of going back to his parents and telling them that not only did he not get the promotion but he also got fired made him cringe.

They would be so disappointed. His parents didn’t really care about him becoming editor, especially his father who had always wanted him to go back home and take over the family business. Over the time that he had spent working as Dan’s assistant, he had lost count of how many family events he had missed. Birthdays, engagements, weddings. You name it.

 It wasn’t his fault if Dan always refused to give him a few days off to go back home. Just a few days before he had asked for the week off in order to go home for his grandma’s eightieth birthday but Dan had just laughed in his face.

His parents had never really understood but they tried to keep quiet when they saw how excited Phil was over the possibility of getting a promotion. They would be so disappointed if they realised that after all the events he had missed he had gotten fired instead of promoted.

As ridiculous as Dan’s plan was, he knew that it was the only way. That didn’t mean that Phil wasn’t absolutely terrified that they would get caught but he was willing to take the risk.

Phil was interrupted from thinking anymore by Dan’s arrival. Dan barely even looked at him and instead walked straight into the immigration centre, passing by all the people who were already waiting in line. Phil could feel everyone glaring daggers into his back but he followed Dan regardless, secretly glad that they could just get this over with. Dan exchanged a few words with the clerk sitting behind the desk ad soon they both found themselves in front of an immigration agent who introduced himself as Mr. Richards.

He barely gave them a chance to sit down before he started talking. “I’m going to make things clear from the start. I know about Mr. Howell’s risk of deportation and I suspect that you two are only getting married to avoid that”, he said, looking at them in a way that showed he wasn’t joking.

Phil could feel himself turn white. They had barely been in the office for five minutes and they were already caught. A quick glance at Dan told him that the other man was handling it a lot better and didn’t even look perturbed. It was in times like this were Phil wished he could be as uncaring as Dan.

“Mr. Richards”, Dan started, sounding almost offended at what the other had implied, “out of curiosity, was a certain Jim Davies the one who told you this? He’s an ex-employee of mine ad I think he’s still a little bitter over the fact that I fired him yesterday morning. I can assure you that Phil and I are very much in love.”

As convincing as Dan had sounded, Mr. Richards still looked very doubtful and that terrified Phil. If Dan couldn’t get them out of this mess with his fancy words, then they were pretty much doomed. “If you are so in love, then how come you waited so long to announce your relationship? Mr. Lester has been working for you for over three years now.”

Just as Dan opened his mouth to reply, Phil decided to jump in. This was his chance of getting what he wanted which was the least he deserved after this whole charade that he was about to help Dan with. “We didn’t want to tell anyone at first because it was still so new and then when the talk of a promotion came up we decided to keep it hidden for a bit longer so it wouldn’t be seen as special preference.”

Phil tried his best to ignore the cold look that Dan was giving him and was pleasantly surprised to notice that Mr Richards seemed interested I what he was saying. “You see Mr. Richards, I’m supposed to be getting a promotion to editor next month and Dan decided to wait until then for us to tell everybody about our relationship.”

Mr. Richards sighed and got out a few documents. “I’m still a little suspicious of this but I can understand why you wouldn’t want your co-workers to think you’re getting special treatment. I’m going to schedule an appointment for you in a week where you will be asked questions about each other separately. If your answers don’t match, Mr. Howell will be deported back to England and Mr. Lester will be convicted of a felony punishable by a €250,000 fine and five years in prison. I take it you’ve met each other’s parents”, he said, writing something down.

Phil could feel the walls closing in on him. He knew that what they were doing was quite serious but it had never even crossed his mind that if they were caught he could face going to prison. He was starting to realise that maybe he should have researched it a bit more before agreeing to it.

He was so deep in thought that he barely even noticed when Dan spoke up. “My parents are both dead but we were actually going to see Phil’s family tomorrow to celebrate his grandma’s eightieth birthday. I’m sure I’ll meet them there. ”, he said, turning to look at Phil. He kicked him under the table when he saw Phil staring at him in shock.

Phil quickly snapped out of it and turned to look at Mr. Richards. “Yeah my grandma’s birthday is in two days and we’re going to Alaska to stay with my parents and celebrate. They’ll be so happy to meet Dan”, he lied through his teeth.

Mr. Richards seemed to be happy with his answer which made Phil consider a career in acting instead. He reminded them about their appointment in a week and then set them on their way.

The minute they were out, Dan started talking about going to Alaska to meet his family. “It would have been great if you could have told me that your parents live in Alaska. This trip is going to be a nightmare but at least I’ll get to meet your family. We should leave tomo-”

Phil interrupted him before he could get any further. “You’re not going to meet my family because we’re not getting married. If I go through with this I risk five years in prison Dan! Nothing is worth that. I’m sorry, but you’re on your own.”

Dan just stared at him, almost unable to believe that for once he was not getting his way. “You cannot be serious right now. You’re not going to face five years in prison because we’re not going to get caught. We just need to get married so I can fix my Visa problems and then, after a few years, we’ll get a divorce and go our separate ways.”

Phil shook his head and let out a sarcastic laugh. “You’re making it sound as easy as going out to buy groceries. It’s not though. It’s illegal, it’s dangerous and it’s ridiculous because you are never going to be able to learn all those things about me by next week.”

He turned back around and started walking away from Dan, planning on going back to work while he still had it. Dan grabbed his arm and stopped him before he could get very far. “Do you have any idea of how much you’re giving up on? Years of being assistant and letting me treat you like shit for nothing because you’re going to get fired the second I’m out of there.”

Phil wanted so badly to ignore what Dan was saying and carry on with his day but he knew that he was right. He had spent years letting Dan treat him like nothing and doing nothing more important than getting his coffee.

He let out a sigh and turned to look at Dan, barely believing what he was about to do. “Fine, I’ll marry you but I do have some conditions for you and if you don’t agree then good luck trying to find someone else who will agree to marrying you. First, I get the promotion to editor as soon as we’re married.”

Dan looked like he was about to complain but he bit his tongue and nodded tersely. “Fine, you get your promotion to editor as soon as we’re married. Happy now? Good, now let’s go”, he said and was about to walk away but Phil stopped him.

“Actually, there is one more thing”, he said, a smirk on his face. “I want you to ask me to marry you nicely. Ad none of your usual sarcasm either. I want you on one knee asking me to marry you.”

Phil didn’t expect Dan to agree straight away and he was not disappointed. Dan burst out laughing thinking it was a joke but it quickly died out when he realised that Phil was being serious. “You want me to do what? There is absolutely no way I’m ever going to get down on one knee in front of you. Have you forgotten that we’re in public? People are watching.”

“Suit yourself then but I’m not taking you to meet my family and I’m definitely not marrying you. Enjoy your trip back to England”, he said with a shrug before he turned around to walk away once again. It took longer for Dan to stop him this time but just as Phil was starting to believe that he wasn’t going to go through with it, he felt a hand grabbing his arm once again.

Turning around, he looked at Dan expectantly and tried not to laugh out loud at the sour look on his face. “Fine! If this is what it takes to get you to shut up about this once and for all then fine”, he snapped. He looked around and frowned when he saw just how many people were walking around them. This was going to be embarrassing.

Dan quickly got down on one knee, deciding that the best way to do this was to quickly get it over with. He took Phil’s hand in his and looked up. “Will you marry me?” he asked just before he started to get up. He was stopped by Phil pushing him back down.

“I said that you have to ask me to marry you nicely. That was not nice or romantic. That was pathetic to be honest so try again. Remember that you’re the one who’s going to end up getting deported if you don’t do it right”, Phil said. He saw Dan about to complain and shook his head. “I can do this all day but people are starting to notice that something’s going on and I don’t think you want everyone staring when you do this.”

Dan quickly looked around and swore when he saw that quite a few people were starting to stop to see what was going on. He knew that if he didn’t do it Phil’s way soon, he was going to end up with an audience.

He got in position and took Phil’s hand in his once again, looking up at him. “Phil, love of my life, would you make me the happiest man alive by marrying me?” he asked, trying his best not to sound as sarcastic as he wanted to. The last thing he needed was for Phil to ask him to do it again.

Phil pretended to think about it, a smirk on his face. “I don’t appreciate the sarcasm and I would have preferred it if you actually had a ring but fine, I’ll marry you”, he finally said with a sigh.

Even though he knew that this was in no way a real proposal, he couldn’t help but feel that there was no going back. At least he could appreciate the fact that he managed to make his proud and almighty boss get on his knees in front of him.

Dan rolled his eyes at that and got up, dusting off his pants. “Great”, he said sarcastically, already starting to walk off. “Book two tickets to Alaska as soon as you get back to the office then email them to me. Now, you have ten minutes to go to Starbucks and get me a caramel macchiato. You don’t even want to know what will happen if I don’t have it waiting for me on my desk in minutes.”

Phil watched Dan walked away and then prepared himself for another run through Starbucks in order to get his coffee. “This is going to be a very long week”, he muttered before he was off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Once again a big thanks to phantatwist on Tumblr for being my beta.
> 
> I'm not quite sure yet but, judging from what I've written so far, I think there might be more than four chapters to this story. I guess I'll just have to see how it goes. 
> 
> I absolutely loved reading your comments to the first chapter and they really helped me in writing the second chapter so make sure to let me know what you think. 
> 
> I'm also posting this story on Tumblr and you can find me on fiction-phan (http://fiction-phan.tumblr.com/) and I'm accepting prompts at the moment. 
> 
> Like I said, if you like it comment, leave kudos and bookmark it. It really helps a lot. 
> 
> I'm going to shut up now, stay tuned for Chapter 3!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is Chapter 3! This chapter is where things really start moving along in the story.   
> Big thanks to phantatwist on Tumblr for being my beta!

Phil hated planes. It's not that he was scared of flying but he never really seemed to find a comfortable position for him to sit in. Things only got worse when everyone started falling asleep, which is something that he had never been capable of doing on planes.

That's mainly what had gotten him in the situation he was in right now, with his boss gritting his teeth and glaring daggers at him. "Will you stop fidgeting?" Dan snapped, finally having enough of Phil’s moving around in his seat. "I had to wake up at four in the morning to catch this stupid flight and if you think I'm going to spend a twelve hour flight watching you fidget and moving around in your seat I'm going to lose it."

Phil bit his lip to keep himself from saying that Dan wasn't the only one who had woken up at four in the morning. Almost three years of working for him had taught Phil that, although Dan never seemed to be in a good mood, it only got worse when he didn't get his favourite coffee in the morning. Arguing would only make things worse.

"Sorry", he muttered half-heartedly, hoping that Dan would at least find it in himself to drop it and just be quiet for the rest of the flight. Phil let out a sigh of relief when he realised that Dan wasn't going to say anything else.

Having finally found a decent position to sit in, he got out the papers that Mr. Richards had given them and started skimming through them. It was important that they learned as many things about each other as possible and even though Phil was quite confident that he knew everything there is to know about his boss, he didn't want to risk messing up in front of Mr. Richards.

Looking over at Dan, he raised his eyebrows when he realised that the other was actually trying to sleep. There was no way that Phil was going to let him sleep while he spent twelve hours reading through stupid facts about him.

Phil rolled up the papers and hit Dan with them, smirking when he saw him jump in his seat. “You can sleep later. Right now, you need to get out the papers you have about me and read them well. I might know a lot about you but I have no doubt that you know absolutely nothing about me", he said, looking back down at the papers in his hands.

Dan scoffed at that and rolled his eyes. "You might have been my personal assistant for the past three years but that doesn't mean that you know everything there is to know about me. I do have a private life you know", he snapped.

Phil simply laughed at that, shaking his head. "I know enough about you to feel quite safe about my meeting with Mr. Richards next week. You, on the other hand, are going to fail miserably and get us both in trouble if you don't at least try", he said, starting to get annoyed.

"We'll see just how much you know about me", Dan said, before snatching the papers from Phil's hands. "I'll ask you questions from what's written here and you have to try and answer correctly. First one, do I have any permanent scars or marks?"

Phil just couldn't help the laugh that came out at hearing the question. He had no doubt that Dan thought he was being difficult but Phil was just going to have to prove him wrong. "You have a scar on your elbow from when you tripped on the escalator. You obviously never told anyone at work but I heard you talking about it on the phone a day after it happened and I noticed your bandaged arm. You also have a tattoo somewhere." He saw Dan about to deny it and quickly shook his head. "There's no point in lying about it. I remember you asking me to book you a tattoo laser removal appointment but then cancelled it so it must still be there."

Dan bit his lip then nodded. "Fine, I guess you do kind of know me. But I'm sure that I know stuff about you as well and I don't even need to read those stupid papers. Go ahead, ask me a question", he challenged.

"When's my birthday?" Phil asked. He was hoping that by starting out easy, Dan would at least be able to get something right. He let out an exasperated sigh when he saw the panicked look on Dan's face. "You don't have any idea when my birthday is, do you?"

Dan frowned at that but tried to play it cool. "Of course I know when your birthday is. It's in...March?"

Phil shook his head, rolling his eyes. "My birthday is on the 30th January. You're hopeless and I'm going to end up in jail because of you if you don't decide to at least look at those stupid papers."

He thought he was going to have to argue more but he was pleasantly surprise when he saw Dan get out the papers and start to skim through them. It didn't look as if he was really remembering any of the answers but at least it was a start, and Phil was willing to accept that.

The rest of the flight was spent reading their respective papers and occasionally turning to each other to ask something about what they were reading. When Dan finally dozed off after three hours of reading, Phil couldn't find it in himself to wake him up. It had been a long day for the both of them and Dan had at least given it a try. At this rate, they actually had a chance of convincing Mr. Richards that they were very much in love in a week's time.

 

*

 

After a long twelve hour ride to Sitka, Alaska, both Dan and Phil were glad to finally get out of the plane and get the opportunity to stretch their legs. It wasn't long after they had gotten off that they heard shouting coming from nearby and when Phil looked over, he smiled when he noticed his mum and grandma waving to them from the side.

It was only at seeing them again that Phil realised just how much he had missed them. Even though he never regretted leaving Alaska for his dream of becoming an editor, he missed spending so much time with his family. He took off in order to hug both his mum and grandma and for a short moment he forgot all about Dan standing behind him and their stupid plan. A quiet cough from behind him reminded him of everything. Turning around, he beckoned Dan over to him and then tried to think of the best way to present him to his family. "This is Dan, my boyfriend", he finally settled on, pointing towards his boss. He then turned to point at his family, trying not to look as awkward as he felt. "Dan, these are my mum and grandma."

Phil was glad to notice that Dan, on the contrary of himself, seemed to be as charming as always and had no problem introducing himself to his family. At least both his mum and grandma seemed to be taking it well. They hadn't really believed him when he called to let them know that he was bringing his boyfriend with him, who also happened to be his boss. Phil guessed that it was a little strange to hear your son say he's dating the same person he had said he hated for the past three years. If only he could tell them the truth.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Phil looked over to his family once again and smiled when he saw them looking happy. "Where's dad?" he asked his mum, finally noticing his absence. His mum explained that his dad had gotten caught up at work and that he'd meet them back at the house. She looked upset about it but Phil was secretly glad that he still had some time before having to face him. He knew that his dad was going to be the hardest to convince of his relationship with Dan.

His grandma suggested that they get going so as to have some time for them to settle in. "The hotel we booked should be nearby so we'll just leave our luggage there then meet up with you", Dan suggested and was quite shocked when Phil's grandma started laughing at that.

"We cancelled your reservations at the hotel. We thought it would be so much better if you stayed with us during your trip here", she said sweetly and Dan tried his best to leave a pleasant look on his face instead of grimacing like he so badly wanted to do. Staying over at their place meant ore effort to convince them that their relationship was real.

As much as Phil knew that know it was going to be a lot harder to keep the act up, he was secretly glad that they would be staying in his old childhood home. A trip to Alaska would not be the same if he had to stay in a hotel. He started following his family but stopped when he noticed his grandma glaring at him. "What?" he asked, bewildered.

"Don't you think you should help your boyfriend with his stuff? He seems to be having some trouble." Phil looked behind him and had to bite his lip to stop himself from bursting out laughing at seeing Dan trying to carry around three large suitcases y himself but only managing to drop everything. He lived for these small moments were he could just laugh and make fun of a person who had made his life a living hell instead of being ordered around. Unfortunately, his grandma didn't seem to find the sight as amusing as he was since she once again glared at him and pushed him forward. "Go and help him."

Phil rolled his eyes but walked over to Dan, grabbing one of the suitcases for him. "I told you that you didn't need to bring all of your belongings with you", he muttered when he realised just how heavy one suitcase was. He just hoped that carrying around one was going to be enough to please his grandma.

Dan ignored him and decided to discuss something else. "Should we tell them that we're engaged on the way to your house? The whole point of me even coming to this stupid trip was to tell your family that we're engaged", he said; once he had gotten hold of his two other suitcases.

Phil shook his head at that, dismissing the idea straight away. "My dad isn't even here. Besides, who announces that they're engaged in a car? No, we're going to do this my way. It's going to be a big deal for them and I want to do it at the right time and place."

It didn't look to him like Dan was very happy about the plan but Phil really couldn't care less. It was bad enough that his boss was at his family gathering, he wasn't going to let him decide when and where to tell them of their engagement as well. He knew that they were going to be thrilled since they had been bugging him to settle down with someone for a long time but that didn't really make Phil feel any better for what they were doing. The thought that in a few years’ time he was going to have to tell them that they had gotten divorced made him wince because he knew that they were going to be devastated.

They got in the car and Phil was at least pleased to notice that conversation was flowing pleasantly between everyone even though he and Dan would occasionally glare at each other without anyone noticing. Phil only started feeling a little down when they got to the centre of town and he started seeing all the shops with their family's name on them. It only reminded him of all the arguments he had had with his dad before he left Alaska. He wasn't looking forward to that starting up again.

"Why the hell is your surname all over these buildings?" Dan asked quietly, leaning over so that Phil would be able to hear him. Phil was confused for a second before he realised that there was no way Dan could have known his father owned most of the business found in Sitka. He rarely talked about it to anyone, not wanting to be thought of as something different than what he really was.

"My dad owns a lot of businesses here in Sitka", Phil said. He was about to say more but he stopped when he heard his mum announce that they had arrived. Looking out of the window, Phil smiled at seeing his childhood home. It hadn't changed one bit.

His smile fell off though when he noticed quite a number of people walking into the house. "Mum, what are all those people doing here?" he asked, and only got more suspicious when he noticed the guilty look on his mother's face. Something told him that this was not going to be good.

"Your grandma and I invited a few people over as a kind of welcome back party for you", she said, causing Phil to groan. "It's been so long since you've visited and everyone wanted to see you again when they heard you were coming back for a week." Phil appreciated the gesture, he really did, but there was no way he was going to announce his engagement in front of all those people.

Looking over at Dan, he could tell that he was not enjoying himself one bit. "As if meeting the family wasn't bad enough, now I have to socialise at a party. Great", Dan snapped when he was close enough to Phil. "By the way, you never told me you were rich. That would have been nice to know especially since we're going to be spending a week in a bloody villa."

Phil rolled his eyes at that. He really should have expected something like that since it was one of the reasons why he had never said anything. "You never asked. Besides I'm not the one who's rich, my dad is. "He hoped was enough to end the conversation since he didn't feel like talking about it anymore.

When they finally walked into the house, Phil stopped in his tracks and stared at the number of people there was. When his mum said that they had invited a few people, he thought they'd asked some extended family members and maybe some friends as well. This was so much more than that since it seemed to Phil as if the whole population of Sitka was in his house. His idea that his was much more than a small gathering was confirmed when he saw an actual waiter walking around with canapés in his tray. "Jesus Christ mum, don't you think this is a little too much?" he asked but was obviously ignored.

He startled when he felt an arm going around his waist and turned to look at Dan with raised eyebrows. "What are you doing?" he asked, feeling completely lost. The feeing only increased when he saw Dan rolling his eyes as if what he was doing should have been obvious.

"Everyone here thinks I'm your boyfriend and soon your family are going to be told we're engaged. Do you really think anyone is going to believe that if we spend the night barely even looking at each other? We have to act like we're in love", Dan explained, ignoring the horrified look on Phil's face.

He was spared from any further explaining by a woman walking over to introduce herself. "Louise!" Phil said, pulling her in for a hug before she could even say anything else. "It's been way too long since I last saw you."

Louise smiled and hugged him back, happy to see him again. "Hey, it's not my fault if you've barely visited since you left Sitka. One of these days I'm going to have a few words with that bastard you call a boss. I'm tired of never seeing my best friend because of him", she said a frown on her face when she saw the gestures Phil was making to get her to stop talking. "Anyways, are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Phil had never wanted the ground to swallow him up more than he did in that moment. He didn't blame Louise for saying that since it was his fault for always complaining about his boss whenever he talked to her but that didn't mean he had wanted Dan to know everything he had said about him. Not to mention that he was pretty sure Louise was going to kill him when he finally introduced them. "Uh this is Dan, my boyfriend and boss", he said, trying to get it out of the way quickly. "Dan this is Louise, my best friend."

Phil could tell the second Louise realised what she had done because her cheeks slowly started turning red. The murderous look she sent his way was a pretty good indicator as well. "Oh, Phil never mentioned anything to me about dating someone, especially not his boss", she said through gritted teeth. "It's very nice to meet you."

Dan held out his hand to shake, a polite smile on his face. "It's nice to meet you too. It's always lovely getting to meet one of Phil's friends", he said. Phil let out a sigh of relief at that since he was terrified that his boss would be his usual snarky self, especially after what Louise had indirectly said about him.

Louise shook his hand, seeming glad that Dan was ignoring what she had said before being introduced. "I'm going to go look for my daughter since she's managed to disappear again. I just wanted to introduce myself and say hello since it's been so long since I last saw you. We definitely have to meet up again while you're here though", she said and started walking away but not before giving Phil a look that made it obvious that they were going to have to talk about this later.

Phil turned to Dan, trying to find an excuse for what Louise had said but Dan stopped him before he could even start. "Unless you want me to start insulting you right here, right now, I suggest you keep your mouth shut", he said and Phil didn't need to be told twice. Instead he just led Dan further in with the intention of introducing him to a few more people.

Phil found himself actually enjoying the party when he ignored the fact that his boss was right next to him with his arm around him. They were talking with some people who seemed to be very interested in Dan's line of work and Phil was surprised when he noticed that he was actually being included in the conversation by Dan. Phil tensed up when he realised that the group they were talking with seemed to think that Phil had gotten the position of editor he had always wanted. He was just about to explain the situation when he felt Dan squeeze his hip and saw him shaking his head.

Before Phil could figure out what Dan was trying to say, his dad decided to make his presence known. "Hasn't Phil told you?" he said, joining in to their conversation. "He's not an editor. He's actually a personal assistant and his...boyfriend also happens to be his boss." Phil looked down, wanting to avoid looking at the group of people they had been talking with. If his dad hadn't interrupted he would have been perfectly happy explaining the situation himself.

His dad then turned to Dan, an obvious fake smile on his face. "Dave, right? What a pleasure to finally get to meet you and put a face to the name. I'm Joe, Phil's dad but I'm sure you knew that already", he said. Phil grimaced at that and watched them shake hands after Dan corrected him on his name. After that, his dad left and Phil made sure to follow him.

"You're not a big fan of making good first impressions are you?" he snapped, barely able to believe that they had just seen each other and they were already fighting. He had been hoping that it could be a little better than this but apparently he couldn't be more wrong.

HIs dad just shook his head and laughed. "Do you really blame me? I haven't seen you in ages and suddenly you're here with someone you hate saying he's your boyfriend. I expected better from you than to sleep around just to get a higher position that you've been trying to get for three years."

Phil winced, trying to ignore what his dad had been implying. They had never been close but he though his dad knew him better than to think he would ever sleep with someone as a way of getting promotions. Then again, he had agreed to marry his boss to get the position of editor so maybe his dad wasn't so wrong. "It's not like that. We love each other and I brought Dan here because I wanted him to meet you guys because I thought my family should get to meet my fiancé. Phil was secretly glad to see the shocked look on his dad's face. "That's right", he said before he turned to address everyone.

"Attention everybody, I have a very special announcement to make", he said, making sure that everyone was looking at him. He tried to locate Dan amongst all the people present but failed. He'd realise what was going on soon enough.

"Dan and I are getting married."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it and I apologise for stopping at such a crucial point. I didn't want the chapter to end up being too long. If you liked it make sure to leave kudos as well as comments to let me know what you think since they always encourage me to write more! I think by now you know that I reply to each and every comment I receive :)
> 
> Remember that you can also read it on Tumblr by going on fiction-phan were you can also leave asks with any questions you might have as well as send in prompts since I'm currently accepting. 
> 
> Once again, thanks to phantatwist on Tumblr for being my beta.
> 
> Until next time! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'll start by apologising for the very long wait. It's been a crazy few months so I desperately needed a break but I love 'The Proposal' with all my heart so I promise that at no point did I even consider abandoning it. 
> 
> To make up for my very long absence I wrote a longer chapter then usual (4,299 words!!) and I think quite a bit happens in this one. It's actually my favourite so far and I loved writing it so I hope you love reading it just as much! Anyways, I've left you waiting long enough and I'm pretty sure you'll kill me if I leave you waiting any more so enjoy Chapter 4 of 'The Proposal'!

Dan was sipping some wine in a corner of the room, trying to hide from all the people at the party who wanted to socialise even though they didn’t really know who he was. He had no idea what had come over him when he willingly allowed Phil to let those people think he had gotten the job of editor. He could have easily let them know how things really were and embarrassed Phil but he didn’t. 

He knew that they had to be careful about Phil's father because Dan had no doubt that he suspected something. He wasn't going to bother with trying to get on his good books because Dan would only be setting himself up for failure but they needed to play up their relationship whenever they were around him if he was to ever believe that they were in love and thinking of getting married. 

Dan looked around and tried to locate Phil. The last time he had seen him was when he had dragged his father away and, even though it pained him to admit it, he was a little worried. It hadn't seemed to him as if Phil and his dad were on very good terms and his father had seemed determined to do everything possible in order to embarrass Phil in public. He tried to convince himself that the only reason he was feeling worried was because he didn't want Phil to say something to blow their story and not because of what else his father was capable of saying to him. 

After a few more minutes without any sign of Phil, Dan decided that it was time he started looking for him. He reluctantly moved away from his corner and started walking around the place, all the time keeping an eye out for Phil. He perked up when he heard Phil's voice from the other side of the room but tensed up when he heard him say he had an announcement. "He wouldn't", he muttered and quickened his pace. 

"Dan and I are getting married."

Dan had been expecting Phil to say something along those lines when he announced that there's something he wanted to say but he still froze in place at actually hearing it. He could see everyone's eyes on him and had to fight with himself not to turn around and run away. He had never done well with public attention even though he always tried his hardest to hide it. He could deal with a few people during a meeting because he knew everyone was scared of him and would never dare to cross him but this was different. These were people he didn't know and who didn't know him. None of them were scared of him and, to Dan; this meant he was at a disadvantage. 

He caught sight of Phil and quickly made his way to him. "This was your perfect way of telling your family we're engaged?" he whispered once he was close enough that only Phil would hear him. "What happened to waiting for the right time and place?" There was so much more Dan wanted to say on the subject but he shut up when he realised that everyone was still staring at them and expecting him to say something. He coughed awkwardly and quickly put his arm around Phil's waist to make it more believable. It's show time. 

"You heard what Phil said, we're getting married!" he said, trying his best to sound enthusiastic. He wanted so badly to kick Phil repeatedly for catching him off guard like this. Especially since he was being no help after announcing their upcoming marriage at a party like that, without at least warning Dan first. Everyone was looking at them weirdly and no one seemed to believe them. Not that Dan could really blame them. Nothing they were doing right now really gave the impression that they were two men in love who were excited about getting married. 

Dan almost couldn't hold in a sigh of relief when Phil finally decided to step in and say something. "I'm sorry it's so out of the blue. Dan and I were actually planning to wait a bit more before telling you since you went through all the trouble of planning this party for me. We're just so in love though and we've been meaning to share this news for a long time so I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I hope you guys are not too upset."

Although people were not looking at them as weirdly anymore, most of them still looked a little hesitant and unsure of what was going on. Phil's mum was the first one to snap out of it. She quickly walked over to them and pulled them both in for a hug. Dan winced but hugged her back and tried not to look as uncomfortable as he really felt. That wouldn't win him any points with Phil's family and he desperately needed those points if he was to convince them that they really wanted to get married. 

"I'm so happy for you", she said, a wide smile on her face as she pulled Phil in for another hug and kissed his cheek. "I never thought I'd see the day that my little boy would be getting married and, I have to say I never expected it would be to your boss." Dan chuckled along with everyone else even though he was actually feeling quite offended. Had Phil really said so much bad stuff about him that the thought of them dating would be out of the question?

Phil's grandma was next in the list of people Dan was going to have to hug after their announcement. At least people seemed to be warming up to the idea of the two of them getting married and were offering them congratulations instead of weird looks. Dan was glad that their ruse seemed to be working so far. The more people they convinced of the love they shared, the less likely it was that they'd be found out and Dan deported. 

*

It was an hour later and things seemed to have settled down. Dan and Phil had gotten congratulated and hugged by everyone in attendance and they were finally taking a well-deserved break. They were sitting down next to each other, so much so that if Dan were to move any close he'd be sitting in Phil's lap. It had been a little awkward at first and neither one of them knew exactly what was acceptable and what would be considered crossing the line but they had finally settled down into it and now they were barely aware of just how close they were sitting. 

Phil's grandma had just asked the waiters to bring out the champagne, stating that they had a lot to drink to. Dan knew that he wasn't imagining her looking at them when she said that. Just as they had finished making a toast with the champagne, the moment Dan had feared came up.

"You guys still haven't told us anything about how you proposed. Give us the details!" Phil's brother said and Dan could feel his stomach drop. Phil and he hadn't discussed this at all and it's not as if they could go with the actual version of how he proposed. Something told him that Phil's family wouldn't be impressed if he told them that he proposed in the middle of the street without even having a ring. He was too busy trying to think of something to say to notice the smirk on Phil's face. That's why he was quite surprised when Phil stood up and decided to take over. 

"I'm actually really glad you asked because it's such a romantic story. You see, Dan doesn't like to admit that he's romantic at heart but he decided to do a bit of an exception for when he proposed to me. He planned a holiday to Paris and waited until were on top of the Eiffel Tower to finally tell me that-"

"I wasn't sure if our relationship was working out", Dan quickly interfered, having figured out what Phil was trying to do. He stood up and walked over to the other man, wrapping his arm around him and squeezing tightly in warning. "Phil was devastated to hear that I had doubts but we talked about it and agreed that we still love each other. I decided that the proposal should be something simple so-"

"He got down on one knee after a romantic dinner date and presented me with a lovely box he had taken ages trying to choose and inside the box was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen", Phil interrupted, wanting to finish their made up story himself. He ignored the dark look Dan was shooting at him. Nothing could ruin his good mood after having made Dan look like he was head over heels in love with him. 

"That's so sweet!" he heard his grandma say. "How about you finish your story with a kiss though? It's only fair". Apparently he had spoken too soon. If there was something that could ruin his good mood in a matter of seconds it was definitely the thought of having to kiss Dan. There was absolutely no way that he was going to kiss the same person who had made the past few years a living hell for Phil. It was bad enough that they had to hold hands and sit close together; kissing was not part of the deal. He was just about to say that they weren't big fans of public displays of affection when everyone started chanting, "Kiss, kiss, kiss!"

He looked helplessly at Dan but, unfortunately, it didn't look as if he had any better ideas of how they could get out of this. Phil knew his family well and he had no doubt that they would get what they wanted if the two of them didn't come up with a believable excuse fast. The last thing Phil was expecting was for Dan to turn him around and start to lean in. "I'm sorry", he saw him whisper before Phil felt soft lips on his. 

At first he was at a complete loss on what he was supposed to do. If he pulled back his family would know that something was not right but he was scared of what the consequences to him kissing back would be. Phil made up his mind when he felt Dan wrap his arms around his neck and he hesitantly moved his own around the other's waist. 

The kiss lasted longer than they were expecting and when they pulled back Phil knew that he didn't imagine the blush on Dan's cheeks. He coughed awkwardly at the silence in the room following their kiss and looked at his mum and grandma's pleased faces. The silence didn't last long since soon everyone in the room was clapping for the happy couple while Dan and Phil tried their best to avoid each other's gazes. Looking at each other meant coming to terms with what they were feeling right now, and that wasn't an option for either of them. 

Phil couldn't help but feel relieved when slowly the party started to die down and guests started making their ways home. He tried to talk to everyone leaving and by the end had to force himself not to roll his eyes every time someone congratulated him on his upcoming marriage. All he wanted was to go to bed and sleep for a week. Maybe once he woke up it will turn out that this had just been a horrible nightmare and that he hadn't just actually told his family that he was marrying his boss. What was he thinking? This was never going to work and Phil had no doubts that after the kiss they had just shared things were going to be even more awkward. 

His musings were interrupted by a poke in the back. He turned around, preparing himself for another round of congratulations, but smiled when he saw who it was. "Cedric! It's been so long since I last saw you", he said, pulling the other man in for a hug. He saw Dan approaching them from the corner of his eye but decided to ignore him for the moment. They pulled back after a while and Cedric quickly turned to introduce himself to Dan. 

"Hi", he said, holding his hand out to shake. "I'm Cedric. Phil and I used to date before he left home but now I'd say that we're best friends." Phil noticed him looking over to him for confirmation and he quickly nodded. He considered Cedric to be one of his best friends, together with Louise. Their breakup had been hard on him, especially since he knew he was mostly to blame. He had loved Cedric but he didn't blame him for not wanting a long distance relationship. It was hard and not everyone was willing to go through that. He was just glad that in the end they had managed to remain friends. 

Dan shook his hand but didn't really give him much of a response other than a small smile. Cedric looked at him confused but then shrugged and turned back to Phil. "I've been trying to get your attention all night but you were almost always surrounded by people wanting to congratulate the happy couple. Not that I blame them of course, but it would have been nice to get to catch up with you. We should meet up one of these days before you leave again." Phil nodded and promised to come up with a day when they could hang out. He watched is best friend leave and tried to ignore the cold look Dan was giving him. 

At long last, all the guests were gone and Phil could finally go to bed to get some well-deserved rest. He told his mum just that and he raised his eyebrows when he saw her smirking. She laughed and then called out for Dan to follow her. Phil couldn't have been more confused when he realised that she was leading the way to his old room. He was just about to comment on it when his mum turned to look at him. "Listen Phil, I'm not stupid. I have no doubt that you two sleep in the same bed back home so I didn't see a reason to stop you from doing that over here. I'm sure that Dan will appreciate getting to share the bed with you", she said and Phil felt himself turn red when he saw her wink. 

Phil had every intention of arguing but his mum was already opening his bedroom door and ushering them inside. He saw Dan looking around and silently hoped the other would complain in his place. The kiss was already bad enough; they didn't need to share a bedroom as well. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Dan about to do just that. 

"Mrs. Lester I appreciate your offer, I really do but I wouldn't want to make everyone uncomfortable. I'll be just as happy staying in the guest bedroom. I don't want to impose more than I already have by staying here", he insisted but there was no arguing with Phil's mum. 

"Nonsense dear! You aren't imposing and I know Phil would be much happier having his fiancé staying with him instead of in the guest bedroom for the whole stay", she said, shaking her head. Phil had to stop himself from saying that he would have preferred it if Dan had stayed at home in the first place but he knew he couldn't do that without ruining their whole story. Both of them knew that they couldn't keep arguing about this without looking suspicious and Dan had no choice but to agree. 

They bid Phil's mum goodnight and waited for her to leave before turning to look at each other, determination in their eyes. "I'm getting the bed", they snapped at the same time, only to end up glaring at each other. Dan had absolutely no intention of sleeping on the floor and neither did Phil, it was his childhood bedroom after all. Unfortunately sleeping together in bed was not an option.

"If you think that I'm going to spend the entirety of this trip sleeping on the floor just because your mum thinks we share a bed back home you're sorely mistaken", he said, starting to open his luggage in order to get his toothbrush and toothpaste. 

Phil laughed humourlessly and shook his head. "This is my bedroom and there is no way you're going to get me to sleep on the floor instead of in the bed. I thought you said you didn't want to impose. Well, guess wat? You're imposing", he snapped. Phil had relented on a lot of things since they even started planning this whole charade but this was not something he was going to give up on easily. It didn't seem as if Dan was more likely to relent though since he walked to the bathroom and slammed the door shut instead of listening to him. 

Phil knew that trying to argue with Dan while he was in the bathroom would be ridiculous so instead he decided to pass the time by looking at his room to see what had changed in the time he'd been gone. He smiled when he noticed that his mum had barely changed anything at all. The Muse and Fall out Boy posters he had stuck to the walls when he was a teenager were still there and even the few clothes he had left in the wardrobe were left untouched. He caught sight of the Xbox that was attached to the television and smirked when he got an idea. 

He threw a remote at Dan as soon as he came out of the bathroom and had to hold in a laugh when the remote almost ended up hitting him in the face. "We're both not going to give up on sleeping on the bed so I propose we settle this fairly. We play three games of Mario Kart and best two out of three wins", he suggested. 

Dan raised his eyebrows at him but eventually nodded. "Fine. Don't think I don't know what you're doing though. You think that I'm horrible at Mario Kart but I've never lost a game in my life so you've just set yourself up for failure", he said, taking a seat and getting ready to play. 

Phil started the game and was surprised, not only by how good Dan actually was at Mario Kart, but also by how colourful his language seemed to get when he was immersed in the game. "I can't believe you fucking threw a rocket at me", he snapped, trying to catch up to Phil again and cheering when he succeeded. At one point, Phil couldn't help but notice how well they got along when they weren't doing anything related to work and were just acting like two good friends playing a video game. 

Phil ended up losing two to three and he wouldn't stop grumbling about it. A part of him badly wanted to forget about the deal and take the bed anyways but he couldn't bring himself to when he saw the accomplished look on Dan's face. His back was going to hurt like hell the next morning but he would at least be able to say that he had been fair. 

"I'm going to go to the bathroom and change for bed. You can change here if you want to", Dan suggested and gave him a small smile when Phil agreed. Although thigs were a little awkward between them and sometimes they still ended up arguing, Phil couldn't help but think that Dan was acting very differently than he used to act back at work. He shook his head to clear his thoughts because Phil had no doubt that he would end up thinking about the kiss he and Dan had shared if he didn't stop. 

He quickly changed into his pyjama pants and an old shirt of his and started fixing up his temporary bed. All he could find in his room were two spare pillows and two blankets so he laid the blanket on the floor and prepared himself for a very uncomfortable night ahead. 

He had just settled in when he heard Dan call out for him from the bathroom. "Phil? Um...I kind of forgot to bring pyjamas with me and I usually just sleep in boxers anyways so...um...can you close your eyes until I get into bed?" he asked and Phil had to bite his lip to keep himself from chuckling. Who would have thought that the same man who terrified everyone at work would ever sound so unsure? And over something like seeing him in his boxers. He sighed and promised he would keep his eyes closed until Dan told him to. 

He heard the bathroom door open and Dan slowly walking out, as if he was scared that Phil hadn't done as promised. He hurried his steps a little once he realised that Phil really had closed his eyes and wasn't looking at him. 

Phil had been planning on doing as asked and only open his eyes once Dan gave him the go ahead but curiosity got the best of him and he couldn't help but take a little peek right before Dan got into bed. He could feel himself turn red at seeing his boss in nothing but his underwear and quickly closed his eyes again, feeling guilty for not having done as promised. 

"You can open your eyes now", Dan said once he had gotten under the covers. He made himself comfortable in bed and then turned off the lamp. It took him a while to finally get the guts to open his mouth and actually say something. "Goodnight, Phil." It might have been something normal for everyone else to say, but to Dan it was a huge improvement and Phil knew that but decided not to comment on it. Instead, he returned the favour and tried to get some sleep. 

Dan was just on the edge of sleep when he heard Phil turning and moving around on the floor. He tried to ignore it at first but it only got worse with time and eventually he even started hearing him sigh and huff. He wasn't stupid so he knew that trying to sleep on the floor must not be comfortable and he couldn't help but feel bad. 

Having made up his mind, Dan sat up and turned the lamp on again and Phil quickly stopped moving around, having thought that he ended up waking up Dan. He sighed and called out to Phil. "This is getting really pathetic. Just come in here, the bed is big enough for us to share without having to touch." Phil didn't need much convincing and quickly got in on the other side of the bed. 

It was really awkward at first since both of them refused to look at each other and they were tense in order to make sure they didn't end up touching by mistake. Phil finally had enough of the awkward silence and decided to say something. You have a really nice tattoo", he commented but winced when he realised that he had just given himself away. 

Dan actually didn't sound as angry as he had thought he would and all he did was sigh. "I should have known that you would have peeked. You couldn't have possibly seen the whole tattoo though or seen what it said. It's quite a long quote."

Phil nodded and admitted that Dan had a point. "I didn't see the whole thing but I definitely know that it's on your lower back and I caught a glimpse of a few words. You don't have to if you don't want to but maybe you could tell me what the quote is?"

It seemed as if Dan was thinking about it but in the end he nodded. "Fine, but if you ever say that I have a tattoo or what it is to anyone else I'll fire you", he said and Phil had no doubts that he was completely serious. "It's a quote that got me through a...hard period in my life. I asked you to book me a laser tattoo removal session once because I stopped believing in it but then I changed my mind. It says 'You are a human with one life. It's up to you to make it the best you can'. I guess it just meant a lot to me at the time."

Phil wanted to ask more about it. This was the first time him and Dan had really talked about something that didn't have anything to do with work or with their stupid plan to get married and Phil found himself wanting to know more about Dan. He wanted to ask him why he got the tattoo, why that quote meant so much to him and why he had stopped believing it at some point but Dan rolling around to face the other way made it more obvious than words could that their conversation was over. At least for now. 

In the end, Phil decided to do as Dan had done and try to get some sleep. Their trip had just started and Phil would have more than enough time to try and get Dan to open up to him again. He ended up going to sleep with a smile on his face, feeling excited for the first time since getting here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think? Was it worth the wait? 
> 
> I got a few comments and stuff on both here and Tumblr suggesting that I try to move away from the movie a little bit. I had always planned on doing that but I just wasn't sure when or how. Hopefully I managed to do that well in this chapter with the Mario Kart and tattoo (hugs and kisses if you've figured out what the tattoo is from!). 
> 
> I really hope you like this chapter and I promise that Chapter 5 won't take as long to arrive. Thank you for everyone who still stuck to this story, I love you all!
> 
> Don't forget that you can also find me on Tumblr: fiction-phan (http://fiction-phan.tumblr.com/)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas!!! (and Happy Holidays if you don't celebrate Christmas!) Consider this chapter to be my little gift to the phandom. I was supposed to post this on Christmas day but, because of christmas celebrations and parties, I didn't manage to finish it in time. I hope you like it and you think it's a decent gift.

The light seeping in through the windows is not what woke Phil up the next morning. Rather, it was the feeling of his arms being wrapped around something warm that pulled him out of the comfortable sleep he was in. He blearily opened his eyes and quickly bit his tongue to keep himself from yelling as he so desperately wanted to do.

The last thing he had expected was to find Dan cuddling close to him and his own arms wrapped around his boss' waist. He had no idea why they were in the position they were in but he was positive that he needed to move away before Dan woke up. Phil had no doubts whatsoever that if Dan woke up and saw this, he would never let him live this down.

Phil unhooked his arms from around Dan and slowly started to try and move away from the other without waking him up. He had almost succeeded when Dan let out a groan and moved closer, nuzzling his face in the juncture of Phil's neck. Phil sighed, at a complete loss of what he was supposed to do now. There was no way he was going to manage to move away without waking Dan up but he also knew that waiting for him to wake up and see them cuddling was also not an option.

In the end, Phil settled for trying to wake Dan up and hoping the other wouldn't make a big deal out of their position. After all he was the one who refused to let go of him when he tried to move away. Now that he had a plan formed for what he was going to do, Phil couldn't help but feel amused over finding out that his boss was a cuddler. That was a piece of information Phil never imagined he would find out. Maybe this plan and trip wouldn't be so bad if it meant he got to find out more things about his boss.

He was just about to start trying to wake Dan up when he heard noises coming from outside his bedroom door. It wasn't long before there was knocking on the door and his mum and grandma were walking in, both carrying trays full of breakfast.

Phil could feel himself turn red when they started cooing at the sight of the two of them cuddling. He had no doubt that it was only going to get worse since he could feel Dan start to wake up from the commotion. What he did not expect was for Dan to knee him in the stomach once he realised the position that they were in. Phil bit his lip and tried his best to show no reaction, not wanting his mum and grandma to become suspicious.

He finally moved away from Dan and sat up in bed, looking over at their two visitors sheepishly. "It's nice of you to bring up breakfast for us but we could have made our way downstairs for it. We don't want to be any trouble." His statement was only met by laughs from his mum and grandma.

"Don't be ridiculous Phil. What kind of hosts would we be if we didn't offer your future husband breakfast in bed at least once?" They both looked so happy at the thought of Dan getting to be his husband soon that Phil started feeling the guilt creeping up on him again. Both his mum and grandma had waited for years for him to settle down and get married and now that he was finally going to give them what they wanted, it was all a lie. They were going to kill him if they ever found out what he had agreed to and Phil wouldn't blame them at all. 

Dan seemed to be slowly waking up more and he took one of the trays with a small thanks. Phil took the other one and was about to start eating, when he noticed his mum looking at them. He had no doubt now that there was something going on and he was starting to get suspicious. Getting offered breakfast in bed was one thing, but getting stared at as they ate it was a different thing entirely. "Mum, what's up?" he said, hoping that he wouldn't regret asking.

His mum and grandma looked at each other and Phil was starting to think that he wasn't going to get an answer but then his grandma took the lead. "Your mother and I started thinking after you two announced that you're going to be getting married soon. We know that you haven't agreed on a date yet for the marriage but since you want to get it done with soon we thought that sooner rather than later would be much better so we were wondering if you could think about getting married here this weekend?"

All Phil could do was gape at his grandma, having expected anything but that. He was very certain that Dan had just choked on his orange juice next to him so at least he wasn't the only one feeling shocked over his grandma's suggestion. He knew that he had agreed to marry Dan and he wasn't about to back away now but no one had said anything about getting married so soon. Who even planned a wedding in a matter of days? He was no expert at this but Phil was pretty sure that weddings sometimes took years to plan. What were his mum and grandma even thinking?

A quick look at Dan showed him that his boss felt as speechless as him. Dan coughed awkwardly and put down his glass on the tray. "That is...quite the suggestion. It's not that I don't want to get married here because I'm sure it would be lovely and I'm positive that Phil would love it but I don't think we can plan a wedding on such short notice and so out of the blue", he tried to reason, to Phil's relief.

Dan had been so sure that what he had said made perfect sense and it would get Phil's relatives off of their case but, unfortunately for them, that was not the case. Phil's mum quickly started to explain what they had in mind. "We know that it's really short notice but if we all work together, we know that it can be done. We can use large family barn as the venue and you can leave all planning to us. All you would have to do is to show up."

Phil's grandma could see both Dan and Phil thinking of reasons why this would not work out so she stepped forward and got ready to move on to plan B. "Phil sweetie, you know how I've always wanted to see you get married. You gave no idea how happy I was to hear that you are engaged and to such a charming young man", she said, looking over to Dan with a smile that he hesitantly returned. "You know though that I'm getting older by the second and at my last visit the doctor even said that I should start cutting off on my traveling. Don't you want your old grandma to see you get married?"

If Phil could groan he would have because as soon as his grandma mentioned getting too old and wanting to see him get married, he knew that he was going to give in to their request. He turned to Dan and opened his mouth to talk, knowing that he was going to get hell from his boss later for what he was about to say. "We did say that we wanted to get married as soon as possible. If my mum and grandma really can handle everything like they said, there's no reason why we can't get married while we're here", he said, trying to ignore Dan's incredulous expression.

At least Dan seemed to be thinking about it and, after seeing Phil's encouraging nod, he sighed and nodded. "Fine, but only if you're absolutely sure that you can handle this and it can actually be done." The words were barely out of his mouth when Phil's grandma let out a shout if joy and pulled Dan in for a hug. Phil's mum soon joined in but thankfully they pulled away before Dan could start to feel uncomfortable.

"You can leave everything up to us and we promise we won't disappoint. All you'll have to do is go out to find a suit but we'll take care of the rest", they both reassured. They both stayed in their room for a few more minutes in order to discuss some details for the upcoming wedding then they were out to give the couple time to finish breakfast in peace.

Dan whirled around to look at Phil as soon as he deemed them far away enough. "I genuinely cannot believe that you agreed to that. Do you have any idea how much harder it's going to be to pretend like this? We were supposed to get married on our own and then come up with some excuse as to why we didn't invite anyone. This is the complete opposite of that and now we have to pretend to be in love in front of all your friends and family. It's going to be a disaster!"

Even though Phil knew that Dan had a point, he was still going to defend himself. He knew that planning a wedding in a few days was madness and that he just made their lives ten times harder but he couldn't help it. His family was going to be crushed when he and Dan eventually got divorced. He couldn't bare the idea of hurting them even more by not even having a proper wedding they could attend.

"For years my mum and grandma have been bugging me about finding someone to settle down with and marry and now that they think I've actually done that, there's nothing they're looking forward to more than attending my wedding. They will never forgive me if I take that away from them and I don't want to so we're just going to have to work extra hard in order to make this believable. I've agreed to marrying you, the least you could do us help me give my family what they want", he ranted, trying to make Dan understand why he had agreed to this.

"The deal was that I'd give you the promotion you've been working for not that we'd have a perfect wedding for your family", Dan mumbled, but at least it wasn't an outright no. "Fine, we'll do it your way but if something goes wrong and we both end up arrested, it's all going to be your fault." There's no way that Dan was going to admit this to Phil, but he had actually been touched by his grandma's words. It had been years since his parents died but seeing his grandma's determination had reminded him of what having a family felt like.

They both ate breakfast in silence and Dan got out of bed as soon as he was done. "I'm going to take a quick shower", he mumbled, and was gone before Phil could even say anything in reply.

Phil sighed and finished the rest of his breakfast. After their conversation the night before, he had hoped that things would at least be a little different this morning. He hadn't expected them to suddenly become the best of friends but he had thought that at least things wouldn't be so awkward. All this talk of the upcoming wedding had taken them back to step one. He got out of bed and decided to use the time Dan was having a shower in order to get changed himself. Since Dan hadn't even been in the bathroom for ten minutes yet, he thought he had more than enough time to quickly take of his pajama pants and look around in his suitcase for a pair of boxers he could put on. He must have been more distracted than he realised because he did not hear the bathroom door opening and a naked Dan stepping out.

While showering Dan had realised that he had left his towel outside. He quickly got out of the shower and opened the door to check if Phil was anywhere around. He felt himself blush when he saw that Phil was still in the bedroom and he was very much naked but he averted his eyes and slowly creeped out while Phil's back was to him. He was hoping to quickly grab a towel and make his way back to the bathroom without Phil noticing and, so far, it seemed to be working.

He quickly made his way to the drawers near the bed and grabbed one of the towels on top of it. Just as he turned around to make a run for it he slammed straight into Phil, who had been walking towards the bed while checking his phone. They both ended up on the floor and Dan flushed bright red when he realised that he was on top of Phil and they were both very much naked. He scrambled around to get up and quickly wrapped the towel around his waist. "What the hell is wrong with you, walking around naked in the bedroom we're sharing?" he yelled, trying not to look anywhere near Phil.

Phil was just about to apologise for slamming into Dan but he quickly bit his tongue when he heard the other snapping at him. "Are you seriously blaming me for this? You're the one running around the bedroom completely naked and wet. Ever heard of getting dressed in the bathroom?"

Dan quickly made his way back to the bathroom at hearing that, slamming the door behind him. He knew that what Phil said hadn't been a lie but he had a perfectly good explanation for why he had done that. It's not his fault if there were no towels in the bathroom for him to use in order to dry and cover up. How was he supposed to know that Phil would be there completely naked? He quickly dried up and put on some clothes and made his way to the bedroom again, desperately hoping that Phil had put on some clothes and that he wouldn't bring up what had just happened.

Phil looked up when he heard the bathroom door open and Dan was glad to notice that he looked as embarrassed as he felt. "My mum told me that they're going to take you out today for some sightseeing and for a few wedding preparations", Phil said, hoping to break the awkward silence that they both seemed to be stuck in.

Dan quickly looked up at that and shook his head. "I hate sightseeing and I thought I didn't have to take part in any sort of wedding preparations. Besides, I'm not going to hang out with your relatives on my own", he said, still shaking his head. It was bad enough hanging around with complete strangers when Phil was with him. There was no way he was going to do it on his own.

It seemed as if there was no getting out of it though since Phil sighed then got up. "You gave to go because ton have no excuses my mum would believe over why you can't make it. Besides, she and my grandma have planned some special surprise for the lucky groom to be so you have to go", he said, rolling his eyes.

Dan wanted to argue some more but he knew that Phil had a point and in the end he would just end up agreeing anyway. "Fine but I hope you know that you owe me for this. A whole day spent sightseeing and going around shops is going to be horrible."

**

"I'm so glad you decided to join us today. I know it must have been a little tiring for you walking around so much but now we're going to head to the bar abdicate have a surprise planned that will completely make it up to you", Phil's mother was telling him and Dan forced himself to smile.

They had been walking around for hours, seeing different attractions and going to a few shops in order to get a look at a few tuxedos he could wear for the wedding. Normally he wouldn't mind walking around so much even though exercise was never his strong point. The fact that he wore his office shoes instead of comfortable ones worked against him completely though since now he felt as if his feet were about to fall off.

He was really glad when they finally made their way to the bar they had mentioned and sat down to order a drink or two. A drink is exactly what he needed to wind down after the long day he had just had. He couldn't wait to get back so he could lie down in bed and force Phil to listen to his complaints.

Dan's relief at finally sitting down didn't last long when he noticed quite a few people he had seen at Phil's welcoming party join them with amused smiles on their faces. "What's going on?" he whispered to Phil's mum but all the answer he got in return was a giggle which did nothing to ease his worries. Something told him that he wasn't going to like the surprise they had planned for him at all.

His worries were only confirmed when loud music suddenly started to play and, to Dan's horror, it was Sex Bomb. He was just about to turn to Phil's mum again in order to ask her what the hell was going on when he saw a guy dressed in black and white clothes come out from behind the bar. Dan couldn't help but gulp when lights were suddenly pointed at said guy. He had a feeling that he knew exactly what the surprise they had planned for him was. His suspicions were confirmed when Dan caught sight of Phil's ex boyfriend who leaned in to talk to him. "Rob is the only exotic dancer you can find in this place. You're going to love him, you'll see."

Dan was absolutely horrified. His surprise was a show by an exotic dancer? And it was planned by Phil's mum and grandma? They were supposed to put a good example and be opposed to these kinds of things not encourage it. How the hell was he going to make it through this?

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a now shirtless Rob grinding against him. Dan tried to move away from him without making it obvious but he wasn't really successful so he ended up with a half naked Rob almost sitting on top of him. The last thing he was expecting was for Phil's mum and grandma to encourage him to react to what was going on. In the end he ended up with his hands on Rob's chest and he had to hide how much he was not enjoying it. He didn't want to disappoint after they had to gone through the trouble of planning a surprise for him. After all, he knew that some people enjoyed this kind of thing but it was just not his style, especially since he could feel the eyes of everyone in the club on him.

Dan had never been more relieved than when the music finally stopped and Rob moved away from him. He tried to ignore the whoops and hollers of everyone around him and tried to pass of his red cheeks to feeling a little hot and not because he was feeling very embarrassed over what had just happened. He quickly excused himself in order to go out and get some air, taking his drink with him.

He was only out on his own for a few minutes before he heard the door open behind him and he turned around to see Phil's ex boyfriend walk out. "It's Cedric right?" he asked once the other had gotten closer and he got a nod in return.

"The Lesters can get a bit much right?" Cedric asked and chuckled when all Dan did was shrug. The answer must have still been obvious by the look on his face. "I promise that they mean well. I could tell that wasn't exactly your scene back then but they never thought Phil was actually going to get married so they went a little overboard."

Dan tried not to groan when the upcoming wedding was mentioned. He had heard more than enough about if for one day and now he just wanted some time to forget about it and forget all about his fear of getting deported after years of hard work. "You and Phil were pretty serious right?" he asked, trying to get the conversation away from anything having to do with the wedding and his relationship with Phil.

Cedric smiled and nodded. "Yeah, we started dating when we were just fourteen and managed to stay together all the way through college. We should have known that it was never going to work out though because we both wanted very different things, even back then. I wanted to take over my family's business over here and Phil couldn't wait to leave and build a life somewhere else. In the end we just decided that a long distance relationship just wasn't worth it but we managed to stay very good friends. You're very lucky to have him, he's an amazing guy although I'm sure you already know that."

Dan just smiled and somehow managed to convince himself that it was not jealousy he was feeling. After all, why would he feel jealous of Phil's ex boyfriend and the apparently lovely relationship they used to have before they broke it off? He was actually quite glad when Cedric said that he was going to head back inside and that he would catch him around later. The last thing Dan needed right now was more things to think about, especially if it was feelings he had no interest in acknowledging. Because Phil was just someone who was going to get him out of a sticky situation, nothing more and Dan really needed to remember that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it? I really hope you did. I'm aware that it's a little shorter than the previous chapters but I was in a bit of a rush to post it sometime near Christmas and I also think I cut off at the perfect point to continue the next chapter. 
> 
> Once again, I hope you had a lovely Christmas and I hope you'll have an even better New Year! xx


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is chapter 6! This is one of my favourite chapters so far because it’s where things really start taking off. I’d like to thank maddyneedsalife (on Tumblr) for agreeing to beta this chapter for me. I appreciate it a lot!

Phil had absolutely no idea what he was going to do all day while Dan was out with his mum and grandma. That left just him and his dad at home and, after the scene his dad had made, Phil had absolutely no interest in hanging out with him.

In the end he decided to go out for a walk. It had been ages since he had walked around the area of their house and he had to admit that he missed it. Even though moving away had always been his dream, Phil still found himself missing his childhood home occasionally. Maybe a nice walk in the open would also help him forget the fact that he had seen his boss naked. “Think of anything but that Phil,” he mumbled to himself as he was getting ready to leave.

 

He couldn’t keep in a groan when he bumped into his dad just as he was going down the stairs. He tried to keep walking and avoid what he knew would be a confrontation but his dad was having none of it since he called out to him. “Leaving already? You haven’t even given me the chance to congratulate you on your upcoming marriage. There’s a lot we need to talk about.”

 

Phil rolled his eyes but turned around. “After your little speech I didn’t think you’d even want to congratulate me. It seemed to me as if you weren’t very keen on my relationship with Dan so I didn’t see the need to give you the chance to talk to us,” he said, trying not to sound so cold with his own father. 

 

It was his dad’s turn to roll his eyes now. “You caught everyone off guard, including me. Do you blame me for doubting your relationship? Have you forgotten all the times you called us to tell us you won’t be able to make it because of your bastard of a boss?” he said and Phil couldn’t hold in a wince. He so badly wanted to deny his dad’s claims but he knew that what he was saying was the truth. 

“Things change,” he finally settled on, but he had no doubt that it sounded as weak as he felt. No doubt that his dad realised it as well. He wasn’t helping his and Dan’s case at all and Phil couldn’t help but curse the second he agreed to his boss’ stupid plan. “Sure, Dan is a little difficult to deal with at first but once you get used to him he’s great and I’d love it if you stopped trying to make our lives difficult.”

 

Phil knew his dad and he knew that there was no way he was ever going to let this go. His mum and grandma might have been easily convinced that he really did love Dan and wanted to marry him, but his dad was a whole different story and Phil had absolutely no idea what he and Dan could do to convince him and get him off their backs.

 

“Look Phil, I think we both know that the chances of you magically falling in love with the man who has made your life hell for the past years is impossible, but if that’s what you want everyone to believe then fine, I’ll play along. I did want to talk to you about some important things concerning your career,” his father said, a look on his face that made Phil tense up.

 

Whenever his dad had decided to talk to him about his career in the past, it had never ended up well. How could it have when his dad always expected him to give up his dreams of becoming an editor in order to take over the family business and be miserable? Phil had always thought that him leaving his family home to try and get his dream career was fairly reasonable but his dad had never agreed.

 

A son could never forget the look of utter disappointment on a father’s face. At that point, Phil had actually considered giving up the idea of ever becoming an editor in order to stay home and make his father happy. A long talk with his mother had made him realise that he didn’t want to do that anymore. Phil had spent his whole life trying to make his father happy but it was finally time to leave and do what made him happy. He didn’t think his dad would ever forgive him for abandoning the family business like that and every time he visited they found themselves in this same situation.

 

“I’m getting old and I was actually thinking of retiring soon. It would mean the world to me if I knew that the family business was in safe hands and the only way I can be sure of that is knowing that my son is taking care of it. I know you have this dream of becoming an editor, but it’s been years now and you’re still stuck in the same position you were in when you started. Don’t you think it’s about time you turned towards something more stable?” His dad said, trying his best to sound understanding and encouraging.

 

Even though Phil knew that his dad was right and that he’d been stuck in the same position for years now, it still stung. Why couldn’t his dad just support in what he wanted to do and accept that taking over the family business was just not for him? His brother handle it on his own and, if not, he knew of plenty of cousins who would be more than happy to take over and who would do a much better job. A part of him was desperate to burst out that after years of working his ass off and tolerating a boss who everyone hated, he was finally going to get the promotion to editor that he so badly deserved. Saying that would just make his dad more suspicious though so he bit his tongue.

 

“Dad, we talk about this every time I come here. I appreciate your trust in me, I really do, but taking over the family business is just not for me. For years I’ve been working to get my dream job so I’m not about to give up now. Not to mention that working in the family business would just make me miserable. Not everyone is cut out for that sort of job,” he said, trying to explain the situation gently even though Phil had lost count of how many times he had said the same words to his dad.

 

Just like the previous times, his dad had no interest whatsoever in listening to what he had to say. He shook his head and glared at Phil. “Phil this is getting ridiculous. I tried to be supportive at first because your mother kept insisting that we need to support you no matter what you do and you needed to get the chance to try and do what you want in life. But now it’s gotten to the point where everyone can realise that it’s not working out except for you. If this was going to work out you would have been a boss yourself right now instead of a lowly secretary issing up to your boss’ ass so you don’t get fired.”

 

His dad was about to continue his rant but Phil didn’t let him finish. He’d heard enough. He didn’t want to listen to anymore because he hated himself for agreeing with his dad to a certain extent. Others in his place would have been at the top of their careers in his place, instead he was stuck as a personal assistant and the only reason he was even getting the promotion to editor he had always dreamed of was because he had agreed to marry Dan so he wouldn’t get deported. It wasn’t because he was talented or good at his job but just because he was Dan’s only way out.

 

“Even if I chose to stop trying getting the job of an editor, I still wouldn’t come here to take over the family business. At this point, I’d rather be stuck in the position of personal assistant for the rest of my life than to come back here and have to see you everyday. I’m sorry that I can’t take over the business for you and I’m sorry I could never be the kind of son you always seemed to want but I’m not going to apologise for leaving to do my own thing and what makes me happy.”

 

Having said that, Phil moved to the side and kept walking. He still had no idea what he was going to do but all he knew was that he needed to be as far away from his dad as possible at the moment. He needed some time alone and maybe a way to get rid of some of the anger that he was feeling.

 

***

 

Dan was exhausted by the time they made it back to Phil’s house. Not only had they walked around all day and his feet were killing him but the so called strip tease by a professional had also taken a lot out of him. At least Phil’s mum and grandma seemed to be happy, judging by their grinning faces. Now all he wanted to do was change and get into bed for some well deserved rest.

 

Phil’s mum left to the kitchen the second she was inside to go prepare dinner and Dan noticed that Phil’s father was also in there looking quite sour. He noticed them talking in hushed voices and quickly took his jacket off to hang it, wanting to get out of the way. The last thing he wanted to do was to intrude. Just as he was about to start going up the stairs, he heard Phil’s mum’s loud voice

 

“You cannot keep doing this Joe! Every time Phil comes here you take the opportunity to criticise him on his life choices. One time it was about Phil and Cedric breaking up and you kept saying they should get back together so that Phil would come back here and now you’re back to talking about the family business. Don’t you understand that by doing this you’re just pushing him further away from us? He’s our son and we’re lucky if we get to see him once a year because of his job so the last thing we need is him wanting to avoid us because you keep bringing up things that are none of your business. Phil is getting married and if you keep doing this we might get to the point where they won’t even let us see any grandkids they might have. Fix it, Joe.”

 

Dan heard footsteps getting closer and quickly ran up the stairs as quietly as possible. He didn’t want Phil’s mum to see him and think he was eavesdropping even though that was technically what he was doing. He made his way to the bedroom he was sharing with Phil and sighed in relief when he realised that Phil was not there at the moment. Dan needed some time alone to think about what he had just overheard.

 

The first thing he did was push back any thought of grandkids that had crept into his mind when he heard what Phil’s mum had said. There was never going to be any grandkids since there wasn’t even going to be a marriage after a year. The thought of disappointing this family after they had accepted him regardless of how he had treated Phil made him cringe.

 

He was aware that he had not given Phil much time off in the years that he had been working for him and it wasn’t for lack of asking on Phil’s part. Thinking about all the times that Phil asked for some time off in order to visit family for some birthday or Christmas and he refused him gives rise to a guilty feeling in his chest and Dan didn’t like it. He shouldn’t feel guilty for expecting his employees to get their work done and he vehemently ignored the tiny voice in his head saying that Phil had always done a good job and there was nothing wrong with asking for a break every once in awhile.

 

Dan needed to do something to distract himself because he refused to start feeling guilty after years of not giving a damn. Unfortunately, the only thing that came to mind wasn’t something he wanted to think about either. Hearing Phil’s mum say that his dad wanted Phil and Cedric to get back together at some point made him think of what he had felt when Cedric talked to him earlier that day.

 

He’d have to be an idiot not to admit that Phil and Cedric seemed perfect for each other. They’d known each other since they were kids and they were the cliche story of bestfriends realising they have feelings for each other. The fact that they had somehow managed to make it work from when they were fourteen up until they finished college was a feat in itself. It didn’t help that the only reason they broke up was because they were scared of trying out a long distance relationship and not because of lack of feelings for each other. Phil could still be in love with Cedric for all he knew.

 

Dan didn’t like Phil’s father, he really didn’t. Not only was he the only one suspicious enough of their relationship to put a risk on their plan, but he also made Dan feel things that he had no interest in feeling. As if him actually allowing Phil to let those party guests believe Phil was an editor wasn’t bad enough. Now he actually found himself feeling sorry for Phil and guilty for keeping him away from his family for all these years. He had forgotten what it was like to have a family that loves and cares for you. That didn’t give him the right to keep those who had it from enjoying it.

 

***

 

Dinner was a very quiet affair. Phil had thankfully shown up a few minutes before it started, so Dan didn’t have to face his parents alone but he was uncharacteristically quiet throughout the whole thing. Phil’s mum kept trying to start conversation and Dan felt so bad that he actually kept the conversation going with her to help her out but Phil and his dad resolutely refused to cooperate.

 

Phil excused himself to his room as soon as he was done and his dad did the same not long after. Dan ended up asking Phil’s mum if she needed any help with cleaning the dishes but she insisted that he go talk to Phil instead. “I know his father can be difficult but he genuinely thinks he’s doing the best for his son. I’ve tried over and over again to get them to get along better but it never works. Can you talk to him for me please? You’re his fiancé, I’m sure there’s a bigger chance of him listening to you than me.”

 

Dan nodded and smiled, wanting to reassure her as much as he could, but inside he was freaking out. How the hell was he supposed to do that? Dan had no doubt that Phil would kill him with his eyes if he tried to bring up the issues he was having with his dad and there’s no way he’d want to tell him anything about his private life. He’ll just keep quiet and tell Phil’s mum that he had tried to talk to him but it just hadn’t worked.

 

He knocked on the door and walked in, biting his lip when he saw Phil already settled in bed. Dan went to the bathroom and quickly changed then made a run for the bed before Phil could even think of getting another look of him in his boxers. The tension in the air was palpable and Dan hated it. He almost wished that he could suggest they play some Mario Cart like the other day so at least there wouldn’t be this awkward silence.

 

“I’m sorry,” he spit out in the end, making sure to look at the ceiling and nowhere near Phil. “For keeping you away from your family for all these years. My…my parents died just before I started working at the company. I put all my focus into work because it helped with the pain but I guess I slowly started forgetting what it was like to have a family that cares for you.”

 

Dan had no idea what had compelled him to say that but he was glad he did. He hadn’t stopped thinking about it since he heard Phil’s mum talking with his dad. He could feel Phil’s eyes on him but he still refused to look at him. Looking at him would make this real and he was embarrassed enough as it is. “Why are you telling me this now?” he heard Phil ask.

 

Dan shrugged, thinking about what’s best to say. “I heard your mum talking to your dad when we got back. She’s scared that you won’t want to come visit them anymore because of your dad. She wants you to know that she knows your dad can be difficult but he thinks he’s doing what’s best for you. They both love you very much,” he settled on, finally turning to look at Phil.

 

Phil looked to be deep in thought and Dan was scared that he’d said too much. He wasn’t really Phil’s fiance and anything that went on with his family was none of his business. Thinking that he had only said all that to help out Phil’s mum helped him feel a little better, but deep down he knew that wasn’t the only reason. After awhile, he figured that Phil wasn’t going to say anything else and turned off the light.

 

“I love my dad but I’m done doing everything to make him happy; I want to make myself happy,” Phil said, making Dan jump. He had been quiet for so long that Dan had genuinely thought their short conversation was over and he was going to try and get some sleep.

 

“There’s nothing wrong with that. It won’t be long now until you’re made into editor and I’m sure your dad will finally get it once he sees how happy you are to have made it,” Dan said but instantly realised that it was the wrong thing to say when he heard Phil laugh without humour.

 

“That’s great and all, but it doesn’t really make make feel any better knowing that the only reason I’m getting the promotion I’ve been dreaming of for years is because I agreed to marry you so you wouldn’t get deported. There’s not much to be proud of,” Phil said, trying not to snap. He was the one who had suggested getting the promotion in return and in the end that had made him agree to this whole scheme.

 

Dan sighed and prepared himself to admit yet another thing that he had never had the intention of saying out loud. Phil was going to owe him so bad after this. “You’re not just getting the promotion because you agreed to marry me. I wanted to give it to you after a year of working for me but then I just kept postponing it until it just didn’t happen. Giving you the promotion to editor meant having to look for a new personal assistant and you’re the only one who had somehow managed to stick around for more than two months. In the end I just decided to keep you around as a personal assistant with the excuse that you wouldn’t make a good editor”, he finished with a shrug. “You can go back to hating me now.”

 

“I swear if we weren’t in bed right now I would punch you in the face for making me waste wo years of my life for nothing when I could already be working as an editor. I’m only letting you get out of this because today you actually opened up to me more than you have in the three years of working with you and because you actually apologised. I didn’t know that was something you could do,” Phil said and Dan rolled his eyes when he heard the smile in his voice. In the end Phil broke the silence that had settled over them by asking a question. “What does the tattoo mean? You told me what it said last time when I got a glimpse of it but not what it means.”

 

Dan wasn’t sure if he could bring himself to share that. On one hand, he had intruded on Phil’s time with his family in order to announce a false engagement for a false marriage and Phil was going through all the trouble of marrying him. But on the other hand Dan was hesitant. They weren’t really engaged and even though they really were going to get married, it wouldn’t be a real marriage and they both knew they’d get divorced at some point. Did Dan really want to open up to Phil knowing their situation? This isn’t real.

 

“You already know that the tattoo says ‘You are a human with one life. It’s up to you to make it the best you can.’ I got it when I was eighteen. I used to get bullied a lot and so I wasn’t really confident about any of my abilities. I once read that quote in a book and it just fit so easily with what I was going through and helped me so much. I had to show myself I could do so I got it as a tattoo,” he said.

 

Dan was even more hesitant when it came to talking about why he had wanted to get it removed at one point. He had never told anyone of how he had felt on his fifth anniversary since his parents’ death. How do you explain the feeling of complete hopelessness? Of believing that nothing you can do anymore will make the situation bearable so why fool yourself with a few nice words inked on your skin?

 

He didn’t know how but somehow he ended up talking about it all with Phil. It hurt to bring up memories of a past he’d rather forget, but at the same time it felt as if he had finally gotten the closure he had needed for so long. By the end of it both Dan and Phil were laying on their sides, facing each other in the dark. Neither one of them mentioned turning on the lights. It was like an unspoken agreement between them that turning on the light would only ruin the mood of intimacy that had settled around them.

 

They spend the rest of the night talking in soft voices and sharing stories and laughs that they never thought they’d be sharing with each other, of all people. Later, they’ll think about what this meant for them now and how they had even found themselves in a position where they could talk like that.

 

But for now, they just planned to enjoy it while it lasted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, I actually moved a little bit away from the movie in this chapter but hopefully you won’t mind. Once again I’d like to thank maddyneedsalife for being my beta. Let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And here is Chapter 7! I know that it’s been a really, really long time but things have been rough lately and I haven’t been in the mood to write. I’m not going to keep you from reading the chapter any longer by whining about my problems so I’ll leave that for the end note for whoever wants to give it a read. The end note is going to be a long one this time, so be prepared.

Dan could feel something warm on his cheek and smiled, nuzzling closer. He froze when he felt the source of warmth move and blearily opened one eye. His face was definitely not laying on a pillow. For one, it was too hard to be a pillow and pillows did not move, as far as Dan knew. He was still too sleepy to really figure out what was going on. 

“Dan? What are you doing?” he heard Phil’s sleepy voice say from underneath him and Dan could feel himself turn a lovely shade of red when he realised what exactly he was doing. He must have moved around some time during the night while he was sleeping. There wouldn’t be anything necessarily wrong with that if it wasn’t for the fact that he was cuddling with Phil and his face was on his assistant’s chest. His assistant’s bare chest, to be exact. 

His body finally caught up with his brain and he quickly scrambled off of Phil, making sure to hold the bedsheets as close to him as possible. How was he ever going to be able to look Phil in the eye again after this? They might have crossed a lot of boundaries the night before after how much they had talked but this was different. Talking before going to bed in the dark was not the same as cuddling in their sleep. 

Dan couldn’t help but feel himself calm down when he sneakily looked over at Phil and saw him looking at him with sleepy eyes, hair all rumpled and covers up to his chin. Maybe this wasn’t as bad as he thought and Phil would just let it go and they’d never have to talk about it. 

Clearly he was wrong because as soon as his eyes met Phil’s, he saw him open his mouth to say something. Dan jumped out of bed with a speed he wasn’t aware he was even capable of and made a run for the bathroom, momentarily uncaring that Phil was seeing him run around in his boxers. He closed and locked the door behind him then walked over to the sink, splashing his face with water. 

Dan was aware that he could not lock himself in the bathroom forever but he needed a few minutes to figure out what he was going to do. Ignoring it was obviously out of the question, considering that Phil seemed like he wanted to talk about it. He had to come up with an acceptable Plan B, and fast. He quickly dried his face with a towel, and walked out of the bathroom once he had taken in a deep breath. 

The words that had been on the tip of his tongue got stuck in his throat when he was greeted with an empty bedroom. Where the hell had Phil run off to? As much as he hadn’t been looking forward to the upcoming conversation, Dan couldn’t help but feel a little put off that his assistant hadn’t even bothered to tell him that he was leaving. 

Figuring that they didn’t have anywhere in particular that they needed to go to today and not being in the mood to dress up, Dan put on the only pair of sweatpants he had bothered to bring with him and a hoodie. It’s not as if there was anyone he needed to impress…much. He quickly made his way downstairs and was relieved to find Phil in the kitchen, having breakfast. As much as he didn’t really want to interact with him after what had happened, Dan like the idea of having breakfast with his assistant’s family on his own even less. 

Dan sat down in front of Phil as soon as he was handed a plate and quickly dug in, making an effort not to meet the other’s eyes while eating. Was it really going to be this awkward for the rest of their stay here? They had to get married for god’s sake! How were they going to do that if Dan could barely bring himself to look his fiancé in the eyes? 

Okay Dan, snap out of it! Yes, you cuddled to your assistant in your sleep and yes, you didn’t exactly hate it but you’re only going to make it more obvious if you keep acting like this. He just needed to go back to how he used to be before this whole thing started. Better have Phil hate him then whatever they were doing now. Dan couldn’t afford to let someone in. The last time he had done that he had gotten hurt. Not to mention that if he really wanted to start trusting someone again, the guy he had pretty much forced into marrying him was probably not the greatest choice.  
Breakfast was awkward, to say the least. Dan and Phil were avoiding looking at each other, Phil was also avoiding looking at his dad and Dan was left trying to keep a conversation going with his fiancé’s mum even though all he really wanted to do was go hide somewhere and never come out.  
He was so desperate to get away from people that he actually offered to clean up the dishes and started picking them up before Phil’s mum could say otherwise. 

Dan moved over to the sink and started washing up the plates, making sure to take his time. He couldn’t stop himself from tensing up when he felt someone move right next to him and looked up to see Phil. “What?” he snapped when he saw the other looking at him with raised eyebrows. Dan was not in the mood to be mocked right now. The day hadn’t started out that great and having Phil’s dad glare at him every time he caught his eye during breakfast did not help very much. 

Phil just shrugged and started taking the washed up dishes from Dan, using a cloth to dry them before placing them in their appropriate cupboards. “Nothing. I just wanted to ask if you were okay. You ran away to the bathroom so fast this morning that I barely had any time to say anything to you.”

Dan could feel his blush making a reappearance and sighed. So they were going to talk about this right now apparently. He’d go with it but that doesn’t mean he had to make it easy or be nice about it. “Don’t get any funny ideas. Whatever happened tonight didn’t mean anything. It’s been a while since I slept with someone else in my bed so I’m not used to it. And while we’re at it, forget everything i said last night. That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Phil’s expression turned cold at that and he laughed, humourlessly. “Of course you would say that. And here I was thinking that maybe the great Daniel Howell actually had a heart, how silly of me. You’re just a heartless bastard willing to do anything to get what you want, even if it means acting as if you’re trying to comfort your fake fiancé. Don’t worry, you won’t have to do that anymore.”

Those words hurt Dan more than he was willing to admit. He’s just in a mad mood because of his father and taking it out on you Dan, don’t listen to him. Besides, what do you care? The thing is that, even though he absolutely loathed to admit it, Dan did care. The previous night had actually meant something to him and, even though he couldn’t blame Phil for feeling like that, it still hurt to hear the words said out loud. 

Before he could really think things through, Dan put the plate he had been washing down and turned to look at Phil. “You know what? Fine, I do care. Are you happy now? I don’t know why I do because you are the most irritating and annoying person that I’ve ever met but for some reason you’ve stuck around even though I’ve treated you like shit most of the time. So last night when I overheard the argument you had with your dad and came into your room to see you like that I couldn’t just do nothing. You have a great family who loves you, even your dad in his own way. I couldn’t let you give up on that, not when I know what it’s like to have no one. So yeah, maybe I can be cruel and I’m definitely a bastard but last night was real, okay? I’m just not used to it.”

Dan swallowed heavily and quickly averted his eyes when his brain finally caught up with his south and realised just how much he had overshared. How did he go from denying what happened the previous night was real to sharing even more than he ever meant to? He was an idiot. How had he even gotten to the position he had in the company today if he couldn’t even keep his mouth shut? A quick look at Phil showed him that his assistant was even more surprised than him over everything he had said and Dan could feel himself start to panic. He needed to get out of here before he messed up even more than he had already. 

He was just about to make a run for it and go hide somewhere until he calmed down when Phil moved forward and grabbed his arm. “You’re not cruel or a bastard. Well, you’re not much of a bastard. You used to be but I’ve seen a different side of you ever since we got here. I used to imagine myself pushing you in front of a moving truck but i’m not…doing that as much lately”, Phil rambled.  
Dan wasn’t sure whether he should be glad that his assistant no longer thought so badly of him or offended over this new-found knowledge that he imagined pushing him in front of a truck. “I’m going to ignore that last part for your sake but…thanks. It’s not often that people tell me I’m actually human and they don’t hate me very much. Because…you don’t, right? Hate me?” He hated sounding as if he gave a damn over someone else’s opinion of him but the truth was, he did. He cared what Phil thought about him because he was the only one who had gotten him to open up in years and that’s not something he took lightly. 

“No, I don’t hate you”, Phil said, a small smile on his face. And was Dan’s brain playing tricks on him or was Phil’s face moving closer to his. A part of Dan wanted to run out of there and never return but another part of him saw no wrong in letting this play out. They would be married in a few days and, even though there were no feelings involved, there was nothing to say that they shouldn’t at least have some fun during this marriage. 

Dan kept telling himself that the only reason he was not pulling away and pretending as if nothing happened was just his desire for having some fun but, deep down, he knew he was only lying to himself. He had been lying to himself since the moment he talked to Cedric and realised how perfect their relationship used to be. 

They were so close now. If Dan moved one step closer their lips would be touching. He closed his eyes and went to do just that when he heard someone coughing from behind him. He moved away as if he’d been burned and looked behind him to see Phil’s dad standing there. What the hell was he thinking? Sure, Phil’s family would find nothing weird about an engaged couple sharing a kiss but Dan was freaking out. 

He almost kissed Phil. He had wanted to kiss Phil. Had he completely lost his mind? This was his assistant, the one who more often than not came in late to work, the one he had kept from his family for years and made sure to make his life miserable. A tiny part of Dan though couldn’t help but think that this was also the Phil who knew more about him than anyone else, knew his coffee order by heart and hd listened to him talk the previous night. 

Dan look between Phil and his father and smiled politely. “I’ll leave you two to talk. I’ll be outside making some calls if you need me”, he said, walking out of the kitchen. Dan needed to do some serious thinking. 

*

Phil was trying to keep himself from panicking in front of his dad but he wasn’t sure that he was doing such a good job. He had almost kissed his boss. The same boss who for years had made it his personal mission to make his life hell. What had came over him? Sure, he was touched by Dan’s words and even he had noticed a gradual shift in their relationship the previous night but he was sure that it was more of a shift towards friendship. Nothing that required them to kiss. He couldn’t help but notice though, that Dan had not pulled away until his father showed up and it had almost looked like his boss had been about to kiss him too.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and turned to look at his dad. He wanted to make an effort to try and salvage their relationship, especially after what Dan had told him, but he wasn’t sure if that was ever going to happen. How could he salvage their relationship if all his dad talked about when he saw him was taking over his company? He had no interest in doing that and he ha reached his limit of patience of hearing about the company. He was about to say just that when his dad started to talk. 

“I wanted to apologise. I’ve been out of line since you got here and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did or gave you trouble about who you date or want to marry. I trust you to make the right decision and if you really love Dan and want to marry him, then I should be supportive of that”, he said, shocking Phil into complete silence. “We might not get along very much but I do know you and I know that if you decide to get married, it’s because you really love them and not as a way to get a promotion. I should have never said that. I guess I was just upset that my son was in love and I never had a clue.”

Phil could feel the guilt eating him up. He knew his dad and he knew how difficult it was for him to admit he’s wrong and apologise. Knowing that while also knowing that the whole wedding was a sham, it crushed him. His family would kill him if they found out that the marriage was just a way to keep Dan from getting deported and for him to get the promotion he had always wanted. 

It was true that Dan had admitted he was still going to get the promotion all along so technically that meant that he could call this off at any second and still come out on top but Phil couldn’t bring himself to do that. Sure, Dan was a lot of things but Phil now felt pretty confident in saying that he was not a bad person. Acting as if he was better than everyone else and making other people hate him was just that, an act. It was his way of keeping people away and protecting himself from getting hurt. 

Phil couldn’t find it in himself to call the whole thing off and watch Dan leave his whole career behind. As much as he had disliked him in the past, Phil could never deny that he was really good at his job and it would be difficult to find someone as good as him in the eventuality of him leaving. 

He smiled weakly at his dad and shrugged. “It’s alright, I know that it must have been a shock for all of you to find out i’m seeing someone and getting married all in the same night. I know I should have told you I’m seeing someone before but, considering I hadn’t said a lot of great things about Dan to you, I knew it was best to tell you face to face so I could explain rather than over the phone. I’m glad we cleared things up though.”

It wasn’t exactly what Phil had hoped for. His dad had apologised for everything having to do with Dan and his upcoming marriage, but his company had not been mentioned. Phil knew that this meant his dad hadn’t given up and he would be bringing it up again in the future. He just hoped that he could wait at least until after the wedding. Even though the wedding was just a necessity and not out of real love, phil really don’t want to be on bad terms with his parents during it. His parents deserved to see their son get married without any drama, even though it was a marriage set up for failure. 

Phil reassured is dad that all was fine and there were no hard feelings then left the kitchen to look for Dan. he had a feeling that they were going to have to talk about what had almost happened in the kitchen. Maybe while at it, he could also ask about why he had woken up with his arms full of his boss that morning.

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And there you go, Chapter 7! It’s not as long as some of my previous chapters but I feel that a lot has happened in this one and quite a bit has changed so this was a good place to stop. As you can probably tell, with this chapter I further moved away from the movie. Although I still want to keep it similar I did want to make this story my own instead of an exact copy of the movie. 
> 
> I want to apologise again for how long it’s taken me to write this. The guy I was dating suddenly stopped talking to me and, even though it was way too early to say I had feelings for him, I was still pretty crushed that he didn’t even bother sending me a message saying we’re done. I then started going to a therapist because I was getting to the point where my anxiety was keeping me from living my life and I’m tired of getting panic attacks for every little thing. More recently, I got in a big fight with a very good friend of mine and, by my choice, I don’t think we’ll be talking again for a while. I’m doing a lot better now and I feel like I’m slowly getting more control over my life. I make no promises for the next chapter since I still have 3 exams to go through but once those are over, I think I’m going to set up some kind of schedule where I post one chapter a week unless something comes up. I’m going to shut up now because I know I said the end note would be long but this is a little too long, even for me. 
> 
> I hope you liked this and don’t forget to let me know what you think! x
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr at fiction-phan.tumblr.com


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Chapter 8! I can’t believe that for once there wasn’t an almost monthly gap between one update and another. Things happen in this chapter, great things, and I hope I have managed to progress it in a way that does not seem rushed. Without further ado, Chapter 8!
> 
> Thanks to constant-phandemonium on Tumblr for being my beta!

Dan grabbed his phone and made sure no one was following him before making his way outside. He hadn’t been lying when he said that he needed to make a few calls. One of the most popular authors signed to their company had called the previous day to let him know that he was rethinking their idea of writing a sequel top his best selling novel. Knowing how much money depended on Dan convincing the author, he knew that he couldn’t mess this up. Getting to avoid Phil for an hour or so was only an advantage. 

His plan was to stay out on the porch, until he realised that there was no reception on his phone. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he said, with a groan, walking further out. All Dan was wearing was a thin shirt and a pair of sweats so he didn’t really appreciate having to go all the way outside, barefooted, just to make a phone call. With a wince, he headed further out and started dialling once he finally got reception. 

“Tyler, buddy!” he said, as soon as the other picked up. “I thought long and hard about all the valid points you put forth yesterday and I really believe that writing a sequel would benefit everyone in the end. I know you don’t believe in long-winded stories but since you gave the first book a vague ending, this is the perfect opportunity.” 

Dan liked Tyler, he really did. He was fun to be around, never failed to make him laugh and his stories always brought a smile to his face. The only problem was that he always took ages to make up his mind and, unfortunately, they were almost always decisions that would ultimately affect Dan’s job. “You’re right, if the sequel is not liked enough it could end up badly for your career but you know that the chances of that happening are really slim. Everyone loves you and I’m pretty sure that you could write a stupid story about a cat and a dog becoming best friends and it would still be a huge hit.”

Dan was about to rebuke Tyler’s statement that his muse had run out and his time of fame was over when he noticed something moving in the corner of his eye. He turned around and paled when he saw Toby, Phil’s family Pomeranian dog, running on the lawn outside. Hadn’t Phil’s grandma said something about not letting her dog outside because of the hawks that had nests close by? Phil was going to kill him. 

He started running after the dog while simultaneously trying to keep track of his conversation with Tyler. “Yes, of course you can’t force creativity but I can’t give you more than three days to think about it before you have to give me a definite ans- Toby no!” he yelled, when he saw a hawk start his descent towards the dog. “No, not you Tyler. Can you please hold for a minute?” 

Dan started running as fast as possible towards the pomeranian but the hawk was faster and soon had the little dog in its clutches. “Oh god, oh god”, he rambled, completely out of his depth and having absolutely no idea what he was supposed to do now. He started jumping, trying to reach the dog, but deep down he knew that it was a lost cause. Or maybe it wasn’t as much of a lost cause as he expected since the next thing he knew the hawk had dropped the dog and took his phone instead. 

Dan was left staring at the bird until it was out of sight, his mouth hanging open like a fish out of water. “What the fuck just happened?” he finally said, snapping out of his stupor. As relieved as he was that Phil’s family wouldn’t have to kill him for letting Toby get captured, Dan was now facing a completely different dilemma. What in the world was he going to do without his phone? He still needed to convince Tyler that writing a sequel was a great idea and get his answer in three days’ time and now he had no phone to do that with. 

He was brought out of his musings by the sound of laughter coming from behind him and he turned around to the sight of Phil. He was bent over and seemed to be very amused. “Do you have any idea how you looked running after a hawk and jumping up and down trying to catch it?” Phil said, once he managed to control his laughter. He seemed to realize that Dan was not as amused as him though so he tried to put on a straight face. “Don’t worry about your phone. We can head out into town later on today and get you a new one. I have all your contact numbers saved in my laptop so you won’t lose anything.”

Dan let out a breath of relief at that. So he still had a chance of contacting Tyler and convince him to do the right thing. He could actually relax now that he was reassured his whole career was not on the line. He tried to ignore the little voice inside his head telling him that if, at any point, Phil decided not to marry him, his career would still be on the line. 

He walked over to Phil and handed him the dog. “Take this thing as far away from me as possible. It almost cost me my job”, he said, glaring at said dog who responded by licking him all over the face. He managed to get Toby away from him and noticed Phil looking at him strangely. “What?” 

“Toby usually takes ages to warm up to someone new enough to do that. I guess he just sees the part of you that you try so hard to hide”, he said with a small smile and Dan had to try really hard to stop himself from turning bright red. This whole thing was exactly what he had been trying to avoid when he left Phil to talk to his dad. He couldn’t afford to let Phil see the real him. People always ended up hurting him and leaving when he did that. Phil wouldn’t be any different. 

He was just about to head back inside when Phil stopped him. “Running away every time you see me isn’t going to change the fact that we need to talk Dan”, he said. “When we were in the kitchen, before my dad interrupted us, you know what was going to happen right?” 

Dan knew that he was running out of options. The fact that Phil had posed it as a question meant that he could still get out of it somehow by lying but he was aware that Phil would know he was lying. “I’m not stupid. I know we were going to kiss. Don’t get any ideas though, it was just in the heat of the moment. Nothing else.”

He desperately tried to ignore the way he saw Phil’s face fall from what he suspected to be disappointment. It couldn’t be though. Right? Why would his assistant, who disliked him, feel disappointed over him saying their almost kiss meant nothing? If he wasn’t careful, Dan was going to be the one with stupid ideas in his head. 

Dan was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice Phil straightening up and walking over to him determinedly, until he was only a few inches away from Dan. When he did notice though, he was not amused. “Phil, what the hell do you think you’re doing? Look, this was nice and all but I think we should go back to me making your life miserable and you hating me for it. It’s what we know best and we can forget all of this even happ-“ 

His rant was interrupted by the feeling of lips pressing against his own and Dan was left to stare at Phil with wide eyes. In the end, he gave up and decided to just go with it so he relaxed and moved closer to Phil. He tried to shut his brain down and stop thinking about the fact that his assistant had kissed him and he was kissing him back but it wasn’t working very well. 

They only parted when the need for air became too strong and then they were left to stare at each other, neither one of them having any idea what to say. Phil decided it was only right that he was the first to talk, considering he had initiated the whole thing. “I would apologise for kissing you but I would do it all over again if I had the chance so i’m not going to”, he said with a sheepish smile and Dan just couldn’t stop himself from smiling back. 

“Look”, Phil started. “I’m not saying that our situation is perfect or that we’re not doing everything in the opposite order it should be, but I like you Dan. I like the real you. The guy who crushed me at Mario Kart yet let me sleep in the bed anyways because you felt bad. The guy who opened up to me during the night with the lights turned off in bed. That’s the guy that I wouldn’t mind getting to know better if you just give me a chance. Do you think you can do that?” 

The first thing that went through Dan’s head after hearing that was that he had to say no. All that Phil had said was well and good but he knew that it was bound to end badly. He would let the other one in, end up liking him more than he apparently already did and then be left to deal with the broken pieces once Phil asked him for the divorce so he could go and live his life. Wouldn’t it be much better if things just went back to how they used to be? Dan would just have to bury his pesky feelings deep down and ignore everything that had led them to this point. 

That’s when his mind betrayed him and he started thinking about what happened. What if Dan said yes? They could get to know each other better, make their upcoming ‘marriage’ more bearable knowing they were marrying someone they liked instead of mere acquaintances. Maybe Dan could actually trust Phil not to hurt him like everyone before him had. 

Dan could see the hopeful look on Phil’s face and smiled shyly before nodding. “Fine, let’s ‘get to know each other’. But you’d better not be disappointed when it doesn’t turn out the way you’re expecting it to. I’ve been told that I can be quite difficult”, he said but, rather than be discouraged Phil just smiled and brought him in for another soft kiss. 

“I’ll take my chances”, he teased once he pulled back. “How about you go get dressed so we can head into town and get you that new phone?” 

Dan nodded and reluctantly walked away, heading inside. He couldn’t help but think that maybe, for once, he had made the right choice in letting someone in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, what did you think? I know that these last two chapters were shorter than previous ones. The thing is, that I've decided to choose a day and start posting weekly chapters. Since I’ll be posting once a week from now on I didn’t feel the need to make chapters 3,000+ words like I did when I posted a chapter once every month or more. 
> 
> For the time being, I will be posting a new chapter every MONDAY so stay on the look out for that here or on Tumblr. I really hope you liked this and don’t forget to let me know what you think!
> 
> Thanks again to constant-phandemonium on Tumblr for being my beta for this chapter and making sure all was well! 
> 
> If you want to keep up to date on everything having to do with 'The Proposal' then make sure to check out my Tumblr, fiction-phan, since that's where I post any news.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Since it’s Monday, as promised, here’s Chapter 9! I’m actually quite shocked that I managed to keep to schedule. Something quite big happens in this chapter so I’ll let you get to it. 
> 
> I want to thank constant-phandemonium from Tumblr for bearing with all my silly mistakes and once again being my beta.

Dan ended up having a lot more fun than he had initially imagined, going from shop to shop. It didn’t take them long to find a phone that looked almost exactly like the one he had before, save for a few updates. "He let Phil transfer all of his old contacts to his new phones letting himself relax, knowing he could contact Tyler at a later time to discuss the writing of the sequel.

"It was because of this that Dan let Phil convince him to spend some more time walking through town and checking out different stores. Phil said that it was so they could look out for the last few things they needed for their wedding, but Dan knew that it was most likely an excuse to spend some more time together. Phil apparently wasn’t kidding when he said that he wanted to get to know him. 

Getting to know him also involved holding his hand during their little trip and Dan found himself fighting very hard to keep his blushing at bay. It didn’t help that literally everyone in this little town seemed to know Phil so no one even attempted to hide the fact that they were staring at them. Usually Dan didn’t mind the attention but that could be because the only attention he ever received was from his superiors for getting them a good deal or from his employees for being a horrible person. He wasn’t really used to being scrutinised for showing his…potential partner…public affection. 

Could holding hands even be considered a form of a public display of affection? According to all the people in this town…apparently yes. Everyone was curious to see who Phil Lester’s fiancé was, especially since they hadn’t really heard many great things about him. The last thing everyone was expecting was to see them going about their business in town looking as if they were actually getting along. 

Dan started to get irritated with all the attention after an afternoon of going about town after he saw yet another person walk past them with an empty trolley just to get a closer look. He sighed and leaned closer to Phil in order to get his attention. “If I see someone else walking right past us to get a closer look, I’m going to lose it. You said your dad’s the rich one but I’m getting the impression that the people around here are still really invested in what you do.”

He regretted bringing it up when he saw the closed off look on Phil’s face. “Why do you think I left as soon as I graduated from college? Don’t get me wrong, I love this place. It’s home after all. I just didn’t want to live my life under the spotlight just because my dad happens to own most of the businesses in town.”

Dan could see how much this actually upset Phil so he pulled him in for a quick kiss, momentarily forgetting that they technically had an audience. “How about you take us to get something to eat somewhere a little more private so we can take a break from all the scrutiny”, he suggested, wanting to spend some time alone with someone he was starting to consider very important. 

Phil nodded, already having the perfect place in mind. It was a small coffee shop that offered some great coffee and a small selection of pastries but it was perfect for what they were looking for right now. The chances of getting stared at there were low and that’s all he cared about at the moment. 

They started walking, with Phil leading the way, and arrived within ten minutes. Phil let out a sigh of relief when he realised that most of the tables were empty. It couldn’t get more private than this. They walked in and chose a table in the far corner. Phil left Dan to settle down and went to order them two coffees and a few pastries to share amongst themselves. Walking back to their table, he noticed Dan looking around.

“This place is really nice”, Dan said, a small smile on his face. “And we’re almost all alone, which is a definite plus. I was getting tired of being stared at. Not to mention that I was promised to get to know each other and not much of that has happened.”

Phil couldn’t help but feel bad about that. He was the one who said he wanted to know more about the real Dan, and so far that hasn’t happened. At least now they were both feeling more comfortable so he could make up for it. “That’s my bad. I just wasn’t feeling comfortable enough to do much talking but it’s different now. At least we’re pretty much on our own. So, how about you tell me more about how you-“

Phil was interrupted by the appearance of Cedric. “Phil! I wasn’t expecting to see you two here. Mind if I join you?” Dan wanted so badly to snap at the newcomer and say that, yes, he really did mind and could he kindly leave them alone but he also knew that Phil wouldn’t take that very well. Cedric might be Phil’s ex boyfriend but he’s one of his good friends first and he couldn’t afford to show that he felt threatened by him. 

Who could blame him? Sure, Phil and him were making progress and it seemed like something more was very much in their future, but how could that even begin to compare to what Cedric and Phil had together? They started dating from a very young age and the only reason they called it off was because they weren’t willing to try a long distance relationship. 

Dan couldn’t help but think that there were still some feelings between the two of them. Why would Phil choose a guy who up until a few days ago had done nothing but make his life miserable over someone he considered to be his best friend and who he had dated before? Dan felt like that was a no brainer and he wanted to keep Cedric as far away from Phil as possible during their stay here. After the wedding they would leave to go back to work, then Phil and Cedric could go back to exchanging phone calls and emails. Definitely nothing serious enough that would worry Dan. 

A part of him felt bad that he was even thinking in such a way, and keeping Cedric away from Phil during their stay. They were best friends for god’s sake, of course they were going to hang out! The greatest part of him knew that he was used to getting what he wanted and having Cedric around put that into danger. 

He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hadn’t even realised that Cedric had pulled over a chair and joined them. Apparently Phil didn’t mind his ex boyfriend interrupting their conversation as much as he did. Great. He mentally berated himself for even thinking like that and tried to pay more attention to the conversation happening around him right now. 

Phil and Cedric were talking about their days at college and Dan had never felt more left out. He knew absolutely nothing about Phil’s days at college so he couldn’t contribute much to the conversation unlike Cedric, who seemed to know everything. He hoped Phil would notice his discomfort and change the subject but it didn’t take long for Dan to figure out that wasn’t going to happen. He was catching up with his best friend after years of barely seeing him face to face, Dan couldn’t blame him for that. After all, he was to blame for them not seeing each other. 

In the end, he got bored of them talking while he just stared and nodded at the right places so he excused himself to go to the bathroom. He knew that he couldn’t stay there forever but he just needed a little break. Maybe that could help him come up with something they could all talk about instead of being stuck having to listen to the both of them talk without having anything to say himself. 

Talking about work was out of the question since that was pretty much the reason Phil and Cedric had lost contact. Not to mention that it was risky, considering the situation they were in right now involving Dan’s position at work. He would have to get creative and come up with something else they could all talk about. 

Maybe the upcoming wedding? As much as Dan didn’t feel comfortable bringing up the wedding and remembering how they had even gotten in that situation in the first place, maybe talking about it is just what he needed to do to make Cedric realise that Phil was off the market now and he had lost his chance. Cedric didn’t need to know all of the details behind their wedding. 

Dan quickly splashed some water on his face and, with that idea in mind, made his way out of the bathroom. He actually really liked Phil and, by some miracle, he now had a chance. He refused to let Cedric ruin that for him. 

It was just as that thought was running through his head that their table came into view and what he saw made Dan wish that he had stayed in the bathroom for a few more minutes. Maybe then he wouldn’t have had to see Phil kissing his ex boyfriend right in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Dun, dun, dun! I would apologise for how this chapter ended but I think this is the first time I ended with a real cliffhanger so I don’t feel too bad about it. Look out for chapter 10 next Monday!
> 
> I actually wanted to ask a favour of you guys. I’ve been thinking of putting up some art for this story but since I don’t have the fortune of being artistically gifted, I was wondering if anyone was interested in coming up with something? You would, of course, get all the credit and we can talk about anything else you might be wanting in return. If you’re interested or want to know more you can either send me an ask on Tumblr (fiction-phan), write a comment on the story to let me know or message me on AO3. Thank you!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As it is Monday, here is another chapter!
> 
> Thank you to constant-phandemonium on Tumblr for once again being my beta.

Dan was frozen in place and he had no idea what to do. Phil kissed him this morning and Dan knew that he didn't imagine that. They held hands for their whole trip to town. He wouldn’t go as far as to say that they were exclusive considering it was all so new, but that didn’t explain why Phil was kissing his ex. He must have been aware that Dan wouldn’t be gone for very long. 

He was so out of it that he barely noticed Phil roughly pushing Cedric away from him. If he had, maybe he would have thought twice before turning around and quickly making his way out of the coffee shop. This was the most humiliating day of his life and he’d gone through a lot when he was a young child at school. None of the bullying and taunts he had suffered at the hand of his fellow peers at school compared to what he was feeling right now. 

The idea that he had been gullible enough to believe that Phil could actually be interested in him made him want to get the earliest flight back home and never come out in public again. He knew that it was a stupid idea, letting someone in again after years of building walls around his heart. Phil seemed so eager and Dan had actually been convinced that his assistant was being serious. Joke’s on him. 

To Dan’s horror, he realised that his eyes were burning and he was very close to crying. He never cried, especially not over some fling that had never even happened in the first place. He really needed to get himself under control again because Dan couldn’t afford to have other people seeing him like this. 

The last thing he was expecting was for someone to start calling his name from behind him. He turned around and quickened his pace when he realised it was Phil. His assistant was the last person he wanted to see right now. He wasn’t really angry with him. Dan was hurt but not angry because he was aware that, in reality, there was nothing for him to be angry about. They weren’t dating and Phil didn’t owe him anything. On the contrary, he was the one who owed Phil for having agreed to marry him. If his assistant decided that he wanted to give his past relationship another try, who was Dan to stop him? 

So no, Dan wasn’t angry but that didn’t mean that he wanted Phil to see him right now because he had no doubt that he was not looking his best at the moment. The choice was taken from him when he felt a hand grabbing his wrist and he was turned around. “Please Dan, I can explain.”

Dan looked at Phil but tried his best to avoid looking in his eyes. He smiled bitterly and shook his head. “There’s nothing to explain. I completely understand. A few days ago I talked to Cedric and he told me how long you had been together and the reason you broke up. You only broke up because of the long distance, not because there were no longer any feelings between you.”

Phil opened his mouth to retort but Dan shook his head again, cutting him off. “It’s okay Phil, really. I completely understand. I think you and Cedric…you make a great couple and I’m happy for you.” He walked away before he could become a greater mess than he was sure he already looked. Phil didn’t follow him this time and Dan had to pretend that he was happy about that. 

* 

Phil was left to stare at Dan’s back as he walked away from him and he couldn’t help but curse ever having suggested they stop for coffee. It had been going so well. It was true that neither of them enjoyed being stared at but he ignored all that in favour of focusing on the fact that he was hanging out with his boss without arguing and they were even holding hands. 

He thought that by suggesting they stop for coffee and a few snacks they could get a break from being the centre of everyone’s attention and talk in peace. The last thing he expected was for everything to go to shit. 

Cedric’s sudden appearance had been a surprise, especially when he asked to join them, but Phil couldn’t find it in himself to deny him. He knew that it was supposed to be a time dedicated to him and Dan getting to know each other, but it’s been ages since him and Cedric had last been able to hang out. Phil immediately regretted his decision to agree when he saw the look on Dan’s face. 

It wasn’t that he looked angry or upset, just disappointed and Phil couldn’t help but feel bad. This wasn’t his last day here so he was going to have another chance to hang out with his best friend without it having to interrupt his…date…with Dan. Phil was way too nice to ask Cedric to leave after having agreed to him joining them so instead he just settled on hanging out with Cedric for a few minutes then explain the situation to him. He was positive that Cedric would understand and leave them to their date. 

At least that had been the plan, until Cedric started talking about their time at college. It’s been so long since they’d had a chance to reminisce about the good old college days like this that he couldn’t keep himself from becoming immersed in the conversation. He tried to keep Dan involved in the conversation but there was little he could do, considering they hadn’t even known each other back then. 

Dan excusing himself to go to the bathroom caused the lull in conversation that Phil had been looking for. He waited until he was sure that Dan had really gone to the bathroom and then turned to Cedric. “Hey Ced, not that it’s not great to hang out with you again but Dan and I were kind of on a date. Would you mind if we go for a coffee tomorrow instead so we can catch up?” 

Phil thought he had put it quite nicely. There was nothing wrong with him asking for some alone time with Dan especially since, in Cedric’s eyes, they were engaged to get married. He was no expert in engaged couples, but he thought it was perfectly reasonable for an engaged couple to spend some time alone together instead of hanging out in a group. As he watched Cedric’s face fall at his request, Phil thought that maybe his best friend didn't feel the same way. 

“Oh, I understand. I guess the grooms to be need some time alone before the wedding. It’s in two days right? I didn’t mean to interrupt your date but it’s been so long since we’ve talked that I couldn’t help myself. After all, Dan’s had you for all these years”, he finished with a shrug. Great, now Phil was feeling guilty all over again for a completely different reason. “I thought Dan would be okay with it since he’s kind of the reason why I’ve barely seen you at all these past few years.”

Even though Phil knew that Cedric had a point, he couldn’t help but get a bit defensive hearing the tone of voice his best friend was using when talking about his boss. It’s true that working for Dan meant that he rarely got the time to visit his hometown but they had broken up way before he started working for him. Even if Dan hadn’t come into the picture, Phil would still have left his hometown to pursue a career somewhere else. 

He was just about to explain all of this to Cedric when he was cut off with a pair of lips on his own. What the hell? It took longer than he would have liked for his brain to catch up with the fact that Cedric was kissing him right now and that Dan would be coming back from the bathroom any second now. He pushed Cedric away roughly and was left staring at him. 

“What the hell is wrong with you Cedric?” he hissed, only to pale when he noticed Dan standing a few feet away from them. Shit. Dan was gone before he could even hope to explain what just happened and Phil was left to stare at Cedric in complete confusion. “I really don’t know what came into you Ced. Not only did you forget that we’ve been broken up for years, but you completely disregarded the fact that I’m engaged now and my fiancé was right here.”

He didn’t wait around for Cedric to explain or come up with excuses for his actions. He had a future husband he needed to talk to so he quickly made his way out of the coffee shop and started running after Dan. 

Thankfully, he didn’t get very far so Phil soon caught up to him. “Dan!” he called out when he was close enough. It was soon made clear to him that Dan had no intention of stopping so he was forced to take a hold of his wrist and turn him around. “Please Dan, I can explain.” 

He was going to tell him that it was all a huge misunderstanding. He knew what it looked like to Dan, especially considering the history him and cedric shared, but he was positive that he could make Dan understand if he just listened to him. The last thing he was expecting was for Dan to say that he understood. 

Phil wanted to interrupt him, he really did, but he was caught by surprise with Dan’s admission that he knew how their relationship ended. He didn’t know that Cedric told him all that. If he did, he would have explained sooner that their relationship was going through a hard time and would have ended even if he had stayed. He winced at hearing that they’d make a great couple, knowing what a lie that was. 

He was going to stop Dan and try to explain again but thought better of it. He'd give his boss some time to calm down and then try to talk to him again. Phil was going to fix this mess, he was sure of it. 

*

Dan made it back to the house in record time and quickly went to Phil’s room before anyone could stop him to talk about Phil or about wedding preparations. Thinking about the wedding made him want to cry all over again and that’s the last thing Dan wanted or needed. 

He closed and locked the door behind him then slid down until he was sitting on the floor. What the hell am I going to do? How could he marry Phil, knowing that his assistant was still in love with Cedric? It’s bad enough that Dan made him lie to all of his family about a relationship between them that didn’t exist, but now he would also be ruining Phil’s chances with Cedric if they went through with the wedding. 

Dan couldn’t do that to Phil, not anymore. He had made Phil’s life miserable for years and then forced himself into a family he didn’t belong in just to save his own ass. He was wiling to ruin someone else’s life just so he could fix the mess he himself had created but that stopped now. Phil managed to worm his way into Dan’s heart and he had to make sure that he didn’t hurt Phil more than he had already. If that meant getting out of the way so that him and Cedric could finally be happy together, then so be it. 

He had to admit to his mistakes and face the consequences instead of bringing others down with him. Phil didn’t deserve that and neither did his family who had accepted him with no questions asked, even knowing how he treated Phil in the past. 

Looking around Phil’s room, Dan quickly located his luggage and packed anything he had left lying around. It didn’t take him long to write down everything he wished he had the guts to say to Phil’s face but he knew that if he did that, he’d never be able to leave. He left the letter on Phil’s pillow and made his way out of the house. 

Figures that the one time he actually fell in love, he was going to have to leave everything behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's safe for me to say now that we're nearing the end of 'The Proposal'. I can't say for sure how many chapters are left since they're not written yet and I'm always coming up with new ideas but there shouldn't be too much left. 
> 
> I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to let me know what you think!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Monday, so here's the next chapter!
> 
> While writing Dan's letter to Phil I listened to Infinity by One Direction and ended up crying over something I was writing myself. If you want the full 'immersion' experience, I suggest you listen to it while reading that part. I'll leave a link to it in the end.
> 
> Thanks again to constant-phandemonium on Tumblr for being my beta.

Phil spent the next hour walking through town before he decided that he had given Dan more than enough time to spend on his own and calm down. It was time for them to talk and Phil was determined not to mess it up this time. Too much depended on him getting it right.

He slowly started making his way back home, thinking about everything he was going to tell Dan as soon as they sit down to talk. He’d have to start by apologising. Phil might not have been the one to initiate the kiss, but he shouldn’t have let Cedric join them on something that they both must have been considering to be their first date.

Phil was also determined to explain how things had ended between him and Cedric. They had been going south for a while, way before he moved away. He never told Cedric because he didn’t want to ruin the friendship that they managed to maintain, but Phil actually used the fact that he was moving as an excuse to break things off. If he didn’t have the opportunity to work abroad, he would have broken things off anyway eventually.

He would have to explain all of this to Dan so maybe his boss would understand that he felt nothing but friendship for Cedric and even that was taking it far after what his so called friend had done. There were no feelings of love between them, at least not on Phil’s part. The only person he could even see himself saying he loved saw him kiss his ex and left in a hurry.

Phil could feel a whole mix of feelings when his house came into view. On one hand, he was eager to find Dan and talk things over but, on the other hand, he was absolutely terrified. There were so many things that could go wrong and a part of him just wasn’t sure if it could even work out. Not only was Dan still his boss at the present time, but the only reason they were even in this mess was because of a fake marriage. How did they end up getting feelings for each other?

As much as Phil knew that his life would be much easier if he never agreed to help Dan by marrying him, he couldn’t bring himself to say that he regretted it. This trip gave him the chance to see Dan as he really is, rather than the persona he adopted to keep people away. He now saw Dan as the wonderful, warm-hearted person he really was and he had no intention of letting him get away.

The first thing he noticed when he walked in was his parents sitting in the living room and looking forlorn. He barely paid them any mind and instead ran upstairs to his room, ignoring their calls. Phil froze when he saw that Dan wasn’t anywhere to be seen and the closets were all emptied of his stuff.

He turned around when he felt someone behind him and came face to face with his mother, who looked very disappointed. “Phil, why didn’t you tell us that it was all fake? We would have helped you”, she said, only making the dread Phil was feeling in his stomach multiply. How did his mum find out about this and where the hell was Dan?

His mum must have seen the confusion on his face because she sighed and started leading him to the living room. “Come on, I think your father and I deserve a few explanations.” Phil didn’t protest and instead followed her quietly, knowing that was probably the only way he was going to get any answers on where Dan was.

He sat down on one of the sofas and tried his best to avoid looking at his dad. Seeing his mum who looked so disappointed was bad enough, he didn’t want to add his dad to that as well. “Where’s Dan?” he asked, cutting to the chase. The sooner he got some answers, the sooner he could get away from here.

“He’s gone”, his mum said, trying to get right to the point. “We didn’t see him leave but I came into your room today and all of his things were gone. You can imagine our confusion so when I found the letter he left for you, we read it.”

Phil took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. He wasn’t even sure what was upsetting him the most, the fact that Dan was gone and no one seemed to be telling him much, or the fact that his parents read a letter that was left in his room for him. He was about to say just that but a look from his mother shut him up. Apparently Dan had mentioned their fake wedding in this letter of his and his mum was obviously less than happy.

“I can explain”, he started to say, halfheartedly, but was interrupted by his mum handing him the letter. He decided that he’d have more than enough time to explain the situation to his parents later. Right now, he just wanted some answers on where Dan had disappeared to. A few sentences in, and Phil could already tell that he was not going to like it.

 

_Dear Phil,_

_I know I must look like a complete coward to you right now, and I probably am, but I couldn’t stay and wait for you to come and tell me all about how much you love Cedric and how you can’t go through with the wedding._

_This isn’t even about me getting deported. It was at first, but I stopped caring about that when I got to know more about you, the real you. I even started to fall for you. I can’t even remember the last time I let someone in the way I did for you and, even though it hurts right now, I can’t really bring myself to regret it. You actually treated me like a human being with feelings rather than an evil monster of a boss, even though I made your life miserable for so many years._

_I know that I already apologised about that, but I want to take the time to apologise again. No one deserves to be treated the way I treated you, but I think you deserved it least of all. Maybe if I took the chance to get to know you before, then I would still have a chance to make it up to you. Maybe then I wouldn’t find myself in a situation where, after years, I finally fall in love again but it’s with someone who has always been in love with someone else._

_I’ve fallen for you Phil and I’ve fallen hard. A part of me really wishes that I could stick around a little longer so that I can say it to your face but I already know that I would just end up disappointed. You don’t feel the same way and I don’t blame you. I don’t think I could ever fall for someone who did the things that I did._

_I don’t want you to feel bad about what happened with Cedric. I tried to force my way into something I never belonged in and that wasn’t fair to anyone. You two love each other and I just hope he can give you all that your heart desires._

_Please apologise to your family for me. I should have stopped this complete farce the second I met them and realised how accepting they were of me. I haven’t had someone who cares about me for so long. I guess I just saw the way they cared so much about you and wanted to live in it for a little longer. I was selfish, and I’m sorry. Please give your dad a chance. I know it seems like you disagree on everything but he only wishes the best for you and he could tell from the start that wasn’t me._

_Don’t worry about the wedding, I’m calling the whole thing off. By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be on a plane back home. I’m going to call the immigration centre as soon as I’m off the plane and tell them that it was all my idea. You can have your happy ending after all._

_I guess this is goodbye Phil. I just hope you know that the last few days I spent with you have opened my eyes to a lot of things. Thank you, for making me see that sometimes opening yourself up to others is a good thing and makes you feel some of the most wonderful emotions even if they lead to hurt._

_Love,_

_Dan x_

Phil read over the letter multiple times, each time more desperate than the last, but the words never changed. Dan was really gone. He had packed everything and left, thinking that he was doing Phil a favour by letting him be with Cedric but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. He didn’t want Cedric, he wanted Dan. And now it looked as if he wasn’t about to get a chance to even explain himself because Dan was already on his way back home.

His mum must have seen the crushed look on his face because she got up and sat next to him. “You really liked him didn’t you? It wasn’t just so he wouldn’t get deported, at least not anymore.” Phil couldn’t do anything other than nod. He just didn’t know what to say. What was there to say after reading a letter like that? All he really wanted to do was go up to his room and cry for a few hours. Dan’s letter had just broken his heart.

If someone had told him a month ago that his boss would convince him to marry him so he wouldn’t get deported and they'd end up actually falling for each other, Phil would have laughed in their faces. He hated his boss, how could he ever fall for him? Over the last few days he realised that he hated the side of his boss Dan wanted everyone to see, not the real him. He loved the real Dan and he doesn’t want to see him get deported.

“You know that there’s still half an hour left before the next plane leaves, right?” Phil’s head snapped up at that and he couldn’t help but stare at his dad. Wasn’t he the one who was the most suspicious about his marriage to Dan? He would have thought that now that he knew it was all fake he would be even more against Dan.

His dad seemed to know exactly what he was thinking and shook his head. “When I first found out that this whole thing was fake I didn’t know who I was the most angry with, you for agreeing or Dan for involving you in such a mess. When I read that letter, I couldn’t help but change my mind because it wasn’t all fake was it? You really did end up falling for each other. Hell, that boy loves you enough to leave and take all the blame for something you both did just so that you could be with some ex.”

Phil knew that he wasn’t imagining the fond look on his face at hearing his dad talk about just what Dan had done. That stupid, loveable guy. He quickly stood up and turned towards his dad.

“Can I borrow your car? I have a plane to catch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's getting more and more obvious that we're nearing the end. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you next Monday with Chapter 12!
> 
> Here is the link of One Direction's Infinity if you want the full immersion experience during Dan's letter:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/track/7zlF2G7QFPdj9lmmGNVuNq
> 
> I really do suggest listening to it while reading Dan's letter :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 12! I know it's a day late but work has been kicking my ass and I spent what little free time I had going out with my friend to look for Pokemon. I never thought I'd see the day when the reason i did not update in time was because i willingly went out a lot. In a way, I'm kind of proud of myself. 
> 
> Anyways, sorry for the delay and I hope you enjoy chapter 12!

Dan spent the whole flight back home listening to music and ignoring everyone who so much as looked at him. He didn’t think he could deal with any polite small talk; not when he felt like he might break down at any second. 

The music helped calm him down a little, but it didn’t make it any easier to forget about Phil. He knew that he had done the right thing by leaving and letting Phil be with whoever he wanted to be, but knowing that didn’t mean it hurt any less. He kept seeing Cedric and Phil kissing every time he closed his eyes and a small part of him couldn’t help but keep thinking that maybe, if he had just stopped to listen, things would be different now. 

He always shook those thoughts off as soon as they appeared. Thinking about the possibility of having a chance with Phil was only going to make it worse. Dan just had to admit that it was over, had never even started, and now he had to deal with the consequences. 

Thinking about the phone call he was going to have to make as soon as he got home only made him want to lock himself in the bathroom and never come out. He was aware that getting married for the sole purpose of avoiding getting deported was illegal but he was hoping that he could actually avoid jail since they didn’t go through with it. That didn’t mean that he was looking forward to getting deported after all the years he spent getting where he was today, but at least he will be getting deported with a clean conscience. 

He let out a sigh when it was announced that the plane would be landing momentarily. He could try to convince himself as much as he wanted, but he knew that, in the end, no amount of preparation was going to help out when it came to actually making the phone call. 

Dan got up and grabbed his luggage as soon as it was safe for him to do so and quickly made his way out of the plane. Picking up the rest of his luggage didn’t take as much time as he thought it would so it wasn’t long until he found himself in a taxi, heading to his apartment. 

Seeing his place after all that happened was a strange feeling. He couldn’t deny that a part of him was relieved to be back home. As beautiful as Alaska had been, it wasn’t home for Dan and it never would be. He had always been the kind of guy who loved life in the city and the past few days he had spent with Phil’s family showed him that they enjoyed the complete opposite of that. Maybe that should have been enough of an indication that it was never meant to be. 

He desperately tried to ignore the little voice inside his head telling him that he would have preferred it a lot more if he didn’t leave Alaska by himself. What had been done was done and there was no use thinking about it now. Needless to say, that was easier said than done. 

Dan looked at the time and frowned when he noticed that it was already nine in the evening. Calling the immigration centre now would be useless since no one would be there. Dan knew that his best option was to get some sleep then call first thing in the morning. The best solution would be if he went there in person and explained everything but he knew he’d never have the guts to actually do that. He was nervous enough knowing that he was going to have to call them. Admitting to the mess he had created with his own hands in person would only make things worse. 

With a heavy heart, Dan quickly stripped down to his boxers and got into bed, trying to feel soothed by the feeling of his own bed sheets against his skin. 

*

He was up by six in the morning, way before he had set his alarm to ring. There was no way he was going to sleep more than that, knowing what he had to do as soon as he woke up. Knowing that no one would be in the offices before eight, dan got out of bed and tried to find things to do that would distract him. 

He briefly thought about heading to his office to carry out some last minute work before getting deported but quickly ditched the idea. Seeing everyone again, knowing what was about to happen, would only make him feel worse in the end. 

That choice was taken away from him when he got a call from Patrick Thomas while he was making himself some breakfast. Thomas had heard that he had come back from Alaska and wanted to see him straight away. Great, another person I need to come clean to about this whole farse. 

Figuring that the immigration office could wait for a few more hours, he dropped everything and quickly started getting dressed. No one left Patrick Thomas waiting, even if he wouldn’t be working for him for much longer. The least he could do was to leave on a good note. Well, as good on a note as one can after messing up so badly and almost faking a marriage. 

He made it to his office in record time and he couldn’t help but smirk when he saw the wide eyes of his coworkers, who did not know that he had returned. The few days he spent with Phil made him realise how badly he treated everyone and he was sorry about that but nothing could beat the feeling of seeing the power he held over others. Besides, no-one could blame him for wanting to enjoy it for the last time. 

Dan walked to his office, knowing that Patrick Thomas would be there, and entered after knocking. He could feel his stomach fill with even more dread when he saw the cheerful look on Thomas’ face. He had hoped that he would be in a bad mood so he would just get this over with and then get out of everyone’s way. Now he'd have to bear Thomas’ small talk, and he just wasn’t in the mood for that. 

“Howell! It’s great to see you again. How was the trip with your fiancé?” Thomas asked and Dan’s mood only got worse. Great, yet another thing I’m not in the mood for. 

Dan took a deep breath and looked Thomas straight in the eye. “Sir, there’s something really important that I need to tell you. I did a really bad thing and I convinced Phil to play along with me but you can’t blame him for this since it was all my idea. I should have been honest from the start but the truth is, I panicked. You were talking about deportation and I worked my ass off for this company. That’s no excuse though and I apologise in advance. The truth is…Phil and I, we’re not-“

“Getting married straight away!” a shout from behind Dan cut him off. “We’re engaged but it’s all really new so we wanted to wait a while before actually getting married. We said that we’re getting married straight away because we didn’t want Dan to get deported and that was wrong of us. I hope we can come to an agreement about giving us a few months’ time.”

Dan turned around and stared open mouthed at what he saw. A panting Phil was standing by the door, looking as if he ran all the way to the fifteenth floor in order to sprout the absolute bullshit he had just said. 

“Phil?” Dan said, still unable to believe what he was seeing. “What the hell are you doing here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't be a 100% sure since I never have a set plan for each chapter and I usually just think about it as I'm writing along, but I think I can say that the next chapter will be the last chapter of 'The Proposal' and then there will be an Epilogue before this story is well and truly over. 
> 
> I can't believe I'm so close to the end especially since, out of all the fanfictions I've been writing for the past 6/7 years for different fandoms, this is going to be my first completed chaptered fanfiction. I'm going to stop gushing and getting emotional for now and leave that for the next chapter but I hope you all know that I would not even have gotten to Chapter 12 if it wasn't for all of your support. Thank you, you guys mean the world to me! 
> 
> On another note, I'm thinking of starting another AU phanfiction in the next few days so that when The Proposal is over, I'll have something else to work on. I'm thinking of basing this story on yet another Sandra Bullock rom-com (I have a problem, I know), this time 'While You Were Sleeping' which is one of my favourite movies of all times. Would anyone be interested? Let me know what you think!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again this was posted on a Tuesday instead of a Monday and, once again, I'm very sorry. I work with young kids (3-4 years) and I need to prepare 4 activities each day for them. Needless to say, it's kicking my ass. 
> 
> This is the last chapter before the epilogue and I really hope you enjoy it!

“I’m just helping you explain what is really going on”, was the first thing Phil told him, looking at Dan as if he was supposed to understand what was going on. One second he was trying to come clean about the whole mess he created, and the next Phil popped out of nowhere and ruined everything. 

Dan almost interrupted Phil again to say the actual truth but one look at Phil confirmed that his assistant would actually kill him if he did. He had no other option than to stay silent and deal with Phil once they were on their own. He was already planning all the things he was going to yell at him in his head. 

Why did Phil have to ruin everything? Did he have any idea how hard it was for him to come to the decision to leave even though he knew that Phil and Cedric would probably end up together? He even said that he would come clean about everything without putting any blame on Phil, regardless of the fact that it could get him arrested. Was that not enough for Phil? Dan had no idea what else he could possibly want from him. 

He was left to stare at Mr. Thomas as he looked at them with a fond smile on his face and assured them that he will do his best to procure all the time they needed. Nothing was going according to Dan’s plan. Patrick Thomas was not supposed to be looking at them like two people in love because he was supposed to know the truth by now. 

Phil must have noticed that he had no intention of moving because he took a hold of his arm and started pulling him out, after thanking Patrick Thomas for his understanding. Dan waited until they were in his office before he turned to Phil and pushed him away from him. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? You’ve just ruined everything!” he snapped, not even giving Phil a chance to explain himself. “Do you know how much guts it took for me to even go to his office knowing what I have to tell him? And now, thanks to you, I have to do it all over again.”

Phil let him vent but quickly started talking when he noticed Dan take a break. He had no intention being interrupted this time and he wasn’t going to leave until he was sure that Dan and him were on the same page. The last thing he needed was for a repeat of last time, only to find that Dan was already on a plane back home. 

“Did you know that I went running straight to the airport when I read your letter? Probably not, since I was too late and the plane had already taken off when I got there. I might know some people at the airport, but even they couldn’t get the plane to turn around and come back because I wanted to see one of the passengers.” Phil stopped to check Dan’s reaction and was glad to notice that he had his attention. 

“While you were busy ‘sacrificing yourself so that I would be happy’ did you even once think that maybe that’s not what I want? Maybe then this whole thing could have been avoided and I wouldn’t have had to catch the next plane over here and run up fifteen flights of stairs to stop you from doing something stupid”, he said, rolling his eyes. 

Dan couldn’t keep on being quiet at that. “What the hell did you expect me to do? Stick around and ruin your life when you obviously still like Cedric? When you were working for me you kept complaining about how badly I treated you and now that I’ve finally done something nice for you, you’re still complaining. I can never do the right thing with you can I?”

Phil had to try really hard to keep himself from rolling his eyes again. It was obvious to him that Dan really believed what he was saying and now it was up to him and make him understand that things were not as they seemed. He never got the chance to explain the kiss that Dan had seen between him and Cedric but now he did and Phil had no intention of ruining it. 

“I expected you to stay long enough for me to explain the situation. If you did then we wouldn’t be here right now, we would be in the process of getting married. Don’t you get it Dan? You’re the one I want, not Cedric. You said that Cedric told you the reason we broke up was because neither of us was willing to try a long distance relationship but you heard his side of the story, not mine. The truth is that I used that as an excuse for us to break up. If it hadn’t been for me leaving, I would have broken up with him anyways because it just wasn’t working.”

Phil couldn’t help the small laugh he let escape at seeing the stunned look on Dan’s face. “Cedric hasn’t been anything more than a good friend for a really long time. Now I don’t think I can even consider him to be that, not after the stunt he pulled that almost caused me to lose you.” He stopped to take in a deep breath, knowing that it was time for him to say it. 

“I love you Dan. I love the man who pretends to be something he’s not just so that he won’t get hurt again. I love the man who loves playing Mario Kart and is actually really good at it. I love the man who actually tried his best to get me to talk to my dad even though it’s been years since we’ve had a conversation without fighting. I love you, and I don’t want to see you getting deported because that would mean never seeing you again. So I’m going to be the one asking you this time, with the only difference that I really mean it.” 

With that Phil got down on one knee and looked at Dan with a bashful look on his face. “Will you marry me Dan? For real this time? I’m sorry for the lack of a ring, I didn’t think it would make much of a difference”, he said with a chuckle. He was about to say something else but was interrupted by Dan getting down to his level and pulling him in for a long, overdue kiss. 

“You’re an idiot, of course I’ll marry you”, he breathed out against Phil’s lips, even though a part of him still couldn’t believe this had actually just happened. Phil loved him. He loved him, not Cedric. Even after everything he had done, Dan was getting his second chance and he couldn’t be happier about it. 

They finally pulled apart and stood up, looking at each other with goofy smiles on their faces. They were getting married and it wasn’t fake this time. “Now I get why you asked Patrick Thomas for a few more months. At least we have enough time to convince your family that it’s real this time and I’m not forcing you to do anything”, Dan said with a laugh. 

Phil rolled his eyes but didn’t disagree. They had some time to figure out the details of what was going to happen and what they were going to tell others. All he cared about right now was that Dan was with him again and he had no intention of letting him go. He couldn’t wait until he got to spend everyday with the Dan he got to see behind closed doors. 

He looked at Dan and smirked. “I still want that promotion to editor you know”, he said with a wink. Even he could admit that he deserved the punch in the shoulder he got from that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I keep saying that we're almost at the end in every chapter but I don't think that's ever been the case more than now. This was the last proper chapter of the story! There will be an epilogue but it won't be very long and it's just there to give you a general idea of what happens after this chapter. 
> 
> I'm going to leave the last emotional, heartfelt and bittersweet Author's note for the epilogue but I still want to take the time to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who has stuck by me even in the long months I did not update. Thank you for all the support that you've showed me by leaving kudos, a comment or bookmarking. I promise that I notice everything and it never fails to warm my heart. You guys have become like family for me and I'm going to miss you so much once this is really over.


	14. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't kill me. I know this is so, so, so long overdue and I'm sorry. I don't have any excuses except for writer's block and the simple fact that I didn't want to finish this story. I've been working so long on this story that the characters have become like family for me and the thought of having to let them go genuinely caused me to cry a few times. So I procrastinated and avoided working on the Epilogue in the hope of postponing the inevitable but in the end I managed to get myself to write this because I know I wasn't being fair to you guys. 
> 
> So, without further ado, here is the last and final chapter of The Proposal.

“So let me get this straight”, Mr. Richards said, looking at them with raised eyebrows. “You two are back here because you are engaged…again.” 

Both Dan and Phil nodded, even though they were aware of just how crazy it sounded. Patrick Thomas had stuck to his word and managed to pull a few strings. He told them that they would have to get married within a year and that he couldn’t do more than that. Little did they know at the time, that they would need even less than that. 

A lot had happened in six months. Many fights that could have been avoided if they both learned to bite their tongues but also some of the happiest moments in both of their lives. Phil would never forget the time Dan organised a weekend in Paris for his birthday just because he mentioned he wanted to visit someday. 

Phil would also be forever grateful to Dan for what he had done for his family. His parents had both given them hell for what they had almost done but they quickly warmed up to Dan when they realised just how much Phil liked him. His relationship with his dad was still not perfect and Phil didn’t think his dad would ever not be disappointed that he refused to take over the company but at least they had gotten to the point where they could talk without arguing. It helped that Dan insisted they visited his family at least once every two months. 

Dan also had a lot to be thankful for. Being with Phil had reminded him what it felt like to have a family that cared for him. Sometimes he got annoyed over the amount of phone calls he got from Phil’s grandma in a day but he wouldn’t give it up for the world. He now had people who cared over whether or not he took time off on Christmas day and who actually wanted to help him celebrate his birthday. 

Most importantly, he had found a man who loved him no matter what. A man who was willing to forgive and forget everything had done to him in the past and given him a second chance. Dan couldn’t be more grateful for that. 

They moved in together after five months and soon started talking about getting married. They both knew that it would be a long process and they would be asked endless questions to make sure they were getting married for love and not for Dan to avoid getting deported. Neither of them were worried though. If they had almost succeeded before, they would succeed now that they were actually dating. 

Mr.Richards sighed but nodded. “Fine, let’s do this but I really hope you’re sure about this. One wrong answer and I’m going to take you down”, he said, looking at the threateningly. Dan raised his eyebrows at that and looked at Phil hesitantly, who looked a bit scared. 

Dan took Phil’s hand in his and nodded. “We’re both very sure. Let’s get married.”

 

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that's a wrap! Get ready for a very emotional final author's note!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me till the very end of this story. Knowing my late updating habits, I know that must not have been easy for you so thank you for bearing with me. Thank you to anyone who left kudos, bookmarked and commented throughout this journey. Your comments kept me going during times I just wanted to give up and leave the story unfinished. The fact that I've finished The Proposal is even more important to me because in the more than seven years that I've been writing fanfiction, this is the first time I completed a chaptered story and I'm so proud of myself for that. It never failed to warm my heart when people said that they think this story is even better than the movie and they only watched the movie after reading this story. I'm glad that I was able to share one of my favourite movies with you all. 
> 
> The Dan and Phil in this story have become like a family to me and it hurts to have to let them go. I hope you enjoyed their adventures just as much as I enjoyed writing them and that they could give you a little happiness on days that seemed too hard, just like they did with me. 
> 
> I also want to take this last opportunity to thank some people in particular. Thank you to Luna381 and oeurichan. They never failed to comment after every chapter update and their reviews always had me over the moon. You two are the main reasons why I stuck this story through and why i was so happy to write each chapter of this story. Your reviews kept me going and (with my procrastination habits) that was a feat in itself so I can never thank you enough. I consider you to be friends who I will miss now that this story is over. 
> 
> I'm going to stop before this author's note becomes longer than the whole story but I hope I have managed to convey just how much this has all meant to me and how lucky I feel to have readers as amazing as all of you. Whether you've been around since the first chapter, joined halfway or are only finding out about The Proposal now, I love you and thank you for making this one of the best experiences of my life. 
> 
> With loads of Hugs and Kisses, 
> 
> Kristina xxxx

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed the first chapter! If you did, be sure to let me know by leaving Kudos, bookmarking it and even leaving some comments. You have absolutely no idea how much the comments, especially when I'm writing new chapters to the story. I promise that I always reply to each and every single comment I get! 
> 
> I'm also going to be posting this story on Tumblr if you prefer to read it there -> http://fiction-phan.tumblr.com/
> 
> If you have any questions you can ask me there :) I'm also looking for a beta for this story so if you're interested you can also let me know there.
> 
> Until next time :) xx


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